JPH11111109A - Keyboard switch - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a keyboard switch in a simple structure, capable of dropping a key top to a storage position in storage wherein an elastic portion is retreated into a storage recess in the key top. SOLUTION: At least one of link members 7, 8 constituting a crosslink 13 is integrated and molded with a supporting plate 18 in the form during storage. In storage, when an elastic portion 21 is moved down to a storage recess 28 in a key top 2, the link member 7, 8 integrated with the supporting plate 18 are attempted to be reset into the form parallel to the supporting plate 18, which is in the form in storage, so that the key top 2 and the crosslink 13 are dropped without applying forcible external force. The key top 2 is thus prevented from interfering with a closed cover.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a keyboard switch such as a notebook personal computer provided with a cover for covering a key top, and more particularly to a keyboard switch in which a key top is guided toward a switch section by a cross link.

[0002]

[Prior art]

A keyboard switch that uses a cross link to smoothly move a key top, which is an operation button of a key switch, in an operation direction of a switch unit has been conventionally known.

FIG. 6 shows this conventional keyboard switch, in which a first link member 10 is provided between a support plate 118 for supporting a number of key tops 102 and each key top 2.
A cross link including the second link member 7 and the second link member 108 is provided.

The first link member 107 and the second link member 108 are each formed in a U-shape, and are rotatably connected to each other at an intermediate rotation fulcrum 127. One end of the first link member 107 on the support plate side is a hinge end 124 that is pivoted on the support plate 118, and the other end of the first link member 107 on the key top 102 side is on a guide portion 105 provided on the back surface of the key top 102. The engagement forms a movable end 123 that is movable left and right and rotatable.
In addition, one end of the second link member 108 on the support plate side is a moving end 132 that is pivoted on the engagement long hole, and the other end of the key top 102 is rotatably mounted on the back of the key top 102. The hinge ends 115 are connected.

[0006] In the standby state shown in FIG.
A downwardly extending rubber elastic part 121 integral with the rubber sheet 104 is disposed below the key top 102, and is in contact with a pressing part 120 vertically provided from the bottom surface of the key top 102.

The rubber sheet 104 is laminated on the membrane switch sheet 103. The rubber switch 104 is provided below the inverted rubber elastic part 121.
Are formed.

When the key top 102 is pressed from above, the support plate side moving end 132 and the key top side moving end 123 move slightly outward (to the right in the drawing), while the support plate side hinge end 124, The quadrilateral formed by the support plate side moving end 132, the key top side hinge end 115, and the key top side moving end 123 is crushed. Therefore, the key top 102 descends while maintaining a substantially parallel state without a large inclination.

As a result, the pressing portion 12 of the key top 102
0, as shown in FIG. 7, causes the inverted rubber elastic portion 121 to bend, and the membrane switch portion 103a is turned on.

On the other hand, key tops 1 such as notebook computers
In a keyboard switch provided in a device having a cover 129 that covers the cover 02, one of the key top 102 and the inverted rubber elastic portion 121 is moved relative to the other in conjunction with the closing operation of the cover 129. As shown in FIG. 8, the inverted rubber-like elastic portion 121 is
8 are known to be evacuated.

As described above, when the lid 129 is closed, the inverted rubber elastic portion 121 is moved to the storage recess 12 of the keytop 102.
8, the folded-over rubber-like portion 121 is not bent for a long time when the notebook computer is not used, and the thickness of the notebook computer can be reduced with the lid 129 closed. .

[0012]

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

However, such a key top 10
In the keyboard switch having the two support structures, two link members 107 and 108 having different shapes are used, and a structure for engaging these with the support plate 118 is required. The structure becomes complicated, and furthermore, the number of assembling steps is increased, which causes a problem that the cost is increased.

Further, when the lid 129 is closed, even if the inverted rubber-like elastic portion 121 is retracted into the storage recess 128 of the key top 102, the member such as the support plate 118, the cross link, and the key top 102 can be closed. 6, the key top 102 does not fall from the state shown in FIG. 6 and interferes with the lid 129 to be closed, thereby damaging the liquid crystal display disposed on the back side of the lid 129 or conversely, by the lid 129. However, there is a problem that the key top 102 is damaged.

For this reason, it is known that a part of the cross link is pulled by the rubber sheet 104 interlocked with the lid 129 to forcibly fold the cross link and drop the keytop 102. Because it is provided for each key switch of the keyboard switch,
A large number of crosslinks had to be pulled by the rubber sheet 104 at the same time, requiring a large operation force, and poor operability. In addition, the structure was complicated, and it was not suitable for practical use.

The present invention has been made in consideration of such conventional problems, and has as its object to provide a keyboard switch that reduces the number of components and facilitates assembly.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a keyboard switch with a simple configuration in which the keytop falls to the storage position when the elastic portion is retracted into the storage recess of the keytop.

[0018]

In order to achieve the above object, the keyboard switch according to the first aspect of the present invention is interposed between a support plate made of synthetic resin and a key top. At the moving end, a pair of first link member and second link member connected to the support plate and the key top are rotatably connected at an intermediate rotation fulcrum to guide the vertical movement of the key top. A cross-link, a cover for covering the key top by the closing operation, and a movable relative to the key top in response to the closing operation of the cover, and are always arranged below the pressing portion of the key top, and the key top is closed. A key switch having an elastic portion retracted into the storage recess of the key top and a switch portion turned on by the elastic portion pressed by the pressing portion of the key top during storage covered by the first link member. When At least one of the second link member, in the form of a time storage, characterized by being molded by integrally connected to the support plate.

When the key top is pressed, the key top is
It is guided by the cross link without being greatly inclined downward. Since the first link member or the second link member constituting the cross link is formed integrally with the support plate, the number of components is reduced, and the cross link is easily assembled. When the key top is lowered, the pressing part of the key top presses the elastic part, and the pressed elastic part is deformed, so that the switch part is turned on. When the key top is released, the elastic portion returns to its own elasticity, and the switch portion turns off.

Since the link member integrated with the support plate is formed in a shape at the time of storage, the link member is normally urged in the direction in which the cross link is folded, and the key top supported by the cross link is urged downward. ing. Since the elastic portion is arranged below the pressing portion of the key top, the key top is in contact with the elastic portion by the cross link without play.

When the lid is closed, either the key top or the elastic portion moves in accordance with the closing operation, and the elastic portion retracts from below the pressing portion into the storage recess. The key top supported by the elastic portion descends because the link member integrated with the support plate returns to the shape at the time of storage.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the keyboard switch according to the first aspect, wherein one end of the first link member or the second link member is bent into a U-shaped cross section to be integrated with the support plate. And the bent portion is a moving end.

When the bent portion having the U-shaped cross section is bent, the bent portion moves in the horizontal direction with respect to the support plate and rotates. Therefore, at the connecting portion of the support plate and one end of the link member,
One end of the link member can be used as the moving end without providing an engaging portion having a complicated structure.

[0024]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A keyboard switch according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the structure of the cross link 13, FIG. 2 is a partially exploded perspective view of the key switch 1, FIG. 3 is a standby state, and FIG.
FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the key switch 1 when the key top 2 is pressed down most, and FIG.

The keyboard switch according to the present embodiment is formed by arranging a large number of key switches 1 shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 on a metal plate 14 such as an iron plate. As shown, the key top 2, the cross link 13, the support plate 18, and the membrane switch 3a
Are printed on the membrane switch sheet 3 and a rubber sheet 4 laminated on the membrane switch sheet 3. The keyboard switch according to the present embodiment is used as a key input device of a notebook computer, and is attached to a case of a notebook computer (not shown), and is rotatably attached to the case when the notebook computer is not used when stored. The cover 29 covers the key tops 2 of the key switches 1 (see FIG. 5).

The key top 2 is formed of a molded product of a synthetic resin such as an ABS resin. The lower surface of the key top 2 is provided on the base end side (right side in FIG. 3) with the base end side of the inner link 7. A pair of U-shaped bearing portions 6 that support the distal end side of the outer link 8 on the distal end side (left side in FIG. 3) are integrated with each other. Is formed. On the bottom surface of the key top 2, a tip portion has an inclined surface 2 inclined upward from the base end toward the tip.
The pressing portion 20 that has become 0a is vertically provided.

The pressing portion 20 comes into contact with an inverted arm-shaped rubber elastic portion 21 described later, and presses the inverted arm-shaped rubber elastic portion 21. Further, a bottom surface between the pressing portion 20 and the tip of the key top 2 is a storage recess 28 for storing the inverted rubber elastic portion 21 during storage.

The cross link 13 is composed of the inner link 7 and the outer link 8. Both of the cross links 13 are provided with the rotating shafts 9 protruding from both side surfaces of the inner link 7 on the outer arms 12 of the outer link 8. By passing through the drilled turning hole 10,
It is rotatably connected. The position of the rotation fulcrum 27 where the inner link 7 and the outer link 8 are rotatably connected is
The link is set closer to the base end side than the intermediate position.

The outer link 8 has a U-shape as a whole formed by a cylindrical support shaft 11 and a pair of outer arms 12 integrally connected from both ends of the support shaft 11 in a direction perpendicular to the support shaft 11. It is formed in a shape. At the tips of both outer arms 12,
A pivot 15 is projected inward in parallel with the support shaft 11, and the pivot 15 is loosely fitted to the U-shaped bearing portion 6 of the key top 2 and rotatably connected to the key top 2. The tip of the outer link 8 is a hinge end.

Also, at both ends of the support shaft 11 and on the base end side of the outer arm 12, the guide frame 1 of the support plate 18 is directed outward.
The guide projection 17 is engaged with the guide frame 6. The guide projection 17 is rotatable within the guide frame 16 and slides in the horizontal direction. It is a moving end.

As shown in FIG. 3, the inner link 7 is formed integrally with the support plate 18 using the rectangular opening 19 of the support plate 18 made of synthetic resin. It comprises a part 22 and two hinge plate parts 24. At the base end side of the pair of U-shaped frame portions 22, the sliding shaft 2
The sliding shaft 23 is engaged with the guide receiving portion 5 of the key top 2 and connected to the key top 2 so as to rotate and slidably move in the horizontal direction. The end is the moving end. The thin hinge plate 24 is
The U-shaped frame portion 22 and the support plate 18 are integrally connected rotatably. The distal end of the inner link 7 is a hinge end by making the hinge plate portion 24 bendable.

The inner link 7 has a storage shape connected in parallel to the support plate 18 to lower the cross link 13 when the key top 2 described later retracts into the storage recess 28. It is formed integrally with the support plate 18. Accordingly, in a free state in which no external force is applied, the inner link 7 is cantilevered by the hinge plate 24 in parallel with the support plate 18 as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2, below the support plate 18, the membrane switch sheet 3 and the rubber sheet 4 are arranged. The rubber sheet 4 is made of a polymer material such as silicone rubber having elasticity.
The inverted-arm rubber elastic portion 21 serving as 1a is integrally formed. When the lid covering the key top is opened, the inverted rubber elastic portion 21 is inserted through the space between the cross links 13 to abut the pressing portion 20 of the key top 2 and is positioned below the key top 2. I have. In a standby state in which the key top 2 is not pressed, a membrane switch portion 3a is formed at a position of the membrane switch sheet 3 facing the protruding portion 21a of the inverted rubber elastic portion 21.

The membrane switch section 3a comprises movable contacts and fixed contacts printed on upper and lower flexible sheets,
Since the upper and lower flexible sheets are laminated by the insulating spacer, they face each other with a slight gap therebetween.

To assemble the key switch 1, first, the membrane switch sheet 3, the rubber sheet 4, and the support plate 18 are sequentially laminated on the iron plate 14. By this lamination, each inverted arm-shaped rubber elastic portion 21 of the rubber sheet 4 passes through the rectangular opening 19.

Subsequently, after the guide projection 17 of the outer link 8 is engaged with the guide frame 16, the outer arm 12 is opened, and the turning shaft 9 of the inner link 7 is inserted into the turning hole 10. Assemble the crosslinks. In assembling the cross link, since the inner link 7 is formed integrally with the support plate 18 and is raised in a state of being inclined obliquely upward by the inverted rubber elastic portion 21, the assembling work is easily performed. be able to.

Then, the guide receiving portion 5 of the key top 2
Then, the key top 2 is placed from above the cross link 13 so that the sliding shaft 23 of the inner link 7 is engaged and the pivot 15 of the outer link 8 is loosely fitted to the U-shaped bearing portion 6. The assembly of the switch 1 is completed.

The keyboard switch is formed by forming a large number of key switches 1 configured as described above using a common membrane switch sheet 3, a support plate 18, and a rubber sheet 4.

The operation of the keyboard switch thus assembled will be described below with reference to FIGS.

In a standby state in which no external force is applied to the key top 2, as shown in FIG. 3, the height of the operation surface 2a at the base end side is very low, and the height at the distal end side is low. Supported by the cross link 13 so that
The key display displayed on the operation surface 2a of the key top 2 is easy to see and the pressing operation is easy.

When the key top 2 is pressed from the stand-by state in FIG. 3, the key top 2 descends while being guided by the cross link 13. As the key top 2 descends, the inverted rubber elastic portion 21 is pressed by the pressing portion 20 and bent. As a result of this bending, as shown in FIG.
a, and the membrane switch 3a is turned on.

When the pressing on the key top 2 is released, the inverted rubber elastic portion 21 returns to its standby shape due to its own elasticity, and the membrane switch portion 3a is turned off.

When the keyboard switch is not used, the cover 29 is closed to cover the keyboard switch. In conjunction with the closing operation of the lid 29, the rubber sheet 4 and the membrane switch sheet 3 are moved in the distal direction (the direction A in the figure) as shown in FIG. Accordingly, the inverted rubber elastic portion 21 of the rubber sheet 4 moves toward the distal end relative to the key top 2, and moves from below the pressing portion 20 to below the storage recess 28.

By the movement of the inverted rubber elastic portion 21,
The key top 2 can be dropped, and the cross link 13 receives a force in the downward direction due to the elasticity of the inner link 7, so that the cross link 13 and the key top 2
It falls naturally without any external force. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, the inverted rubber elastic portion 21 is completely accommodated in the accommodating concave portion 28 of the key top 2 and the cross link 13 is folded, so that the key top 2 remains in the standby state. It will not be left and interfere with the closed lid 29.

The key top 2 by the cross link 13
Is set closer to the base end side than the intermediate position of these links, the stroke of the base end side when the key top 2 is depressed is lower than the intermediate position of these links. Also, the push-down stroke on the tip side is large. Therefore, when the cross link 13 is retracted as shown in FIG. 5, the operation surface 2 a of the key top 2 has the same height on the base end side and the front end side, and is thinned almost parallel to the support plate 18. State.

When the cover is opened during use of the notebook computer, the support plate and the membrane switch sheet 3 move in the opposite base end direction (direction B). Due to this movement, the inclined side surface of the inverted rubber elastic portion 21 slides on the inclined surface 20 a of the key top 2, and the key top 2 is held until the upper surface contacts the lower surface of the pressing portion 20 of the key top 2. Pull up. Therefore, the key switch 1 returns to the standby state in FIG.

The present invention can be variously modified without being limited to the above embodiment. For example, by opening and closing the lid,
Although the membrane switch sheet is moved together with the rubber sheet, only the rubber sheet may be moved.
In addition, the rubber sheet is moved in accordance with the closing operation of the lid, and the elastic portion is relatively moved with respect to the keytop. However, the support plate is moved in the opposite direction (the direction B in FIG. 5), The key top may be moved relatively to the elastic portion.

In the above-described embodiment, the inner link 7 and the support plate 18 are integrally connected by the hinge plate portion 24, and this connection portion is a hinge end. However, the support plate 18 and the link member are connected to each other. The integrated connecting portion may be a bent portion having a U-shaped cross section so as to be rotatable and horizontally movable with respect to the support plate 18, and may be a moving end.

In the above embodiment, one of the link members is formed integrally with the support plate 18.
Both the inner link 7 and the outer link 8 may be formed integrally with the support plate 18.

The elastic portion is made of a polymer material such as silicon rubber having elasticity. However, the elastic portion is not limited to this as long as it has elasticity as the return means of the key top 2. It may be formed into a shape, or may be formed by bending a leaf spring.

[0051]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is no need to provide a particularly complicated structure during storage.
Since the key top 2 can be naturally dropped, the key top 2 does not interfere with the closed lid 29, and the liquid crystal display disposed on the back side of the lid 29 can be damaged. The key top 2 is not damaged.

During standby, the key top 2 is attached to the support plate 1.
Since it is urged downward by the link member 7 integral with the support member 8, the link member 7 comes into contact with the elastic portion 21 and is supported without play.

Further, since the link member is formed integrally with the support plate 18, the number of parts can be reduced, the parts cost can be reduced, and the assembling process can be simplified.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, one end of the link member 7 is bent in a U-shaped cross section, and is rotated and moved horizontally with respect to the support plate 18, so that the guide member is provided. This end can be used as the moving end without providing a complicated structure such as the above.

[0055]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a structure of a cross link 13 used for a keyboard switch according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially exploded perspective view of the key switch 1. FIG.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view showing a standby state of the key switch 1;

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the key top 2 of the key switch 1 of FIG. 3 is depressed most.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the key switch 1 of FIG. 3 in a housed state.

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view of a key switch showing a conventional keyboard switch in a standby state.

FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state where the key top of the key switch of FIG. 6 is pressed.

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state where the key switch of FIG. 6 is stored.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Key switch 2 Key top 3a Membrane switch part (switch part) 7 Inner link (link member) 8 Outer link (link member) 13 Cross link 15 Hinge end part 17 Moving end part 18 Support plate 20 Press part 21 Inverted rubber Elastic part (elastic part) 23 Moving end 24 Hinge end 28 Storage recess 29 Cover 32 Bend

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A hinge (15) (24) at one end and a moving end (17) (17) at the other end interposed between a support plate (18) made of synthetic resin and a key top (2), respectively. 23)
Then, the pair of the first link member (7) and the second link member (8) connected to the support plate (18) and the key top (2) are pivoted at the intermediate pivot point (27). A cross link (1) that connects freely and guides the key top (2) up and down
3) and a lid (29) for covering the key top (2) by a closing operation.
The key top (2) can be moved relative to the key top (2) in response to the closing operation of the lid (29), and is normally disposed below the pressing portion (20) of the key top (2), Is a lid (2
The elastic part (21) retracted into the storage concave part (28) of the key top (2) during storage covered with 9), and the elastic part (21) pressed by the pressing part (20) of the key top (2). ), A switch unit (3a) that is turned on by the switch plate (3a), wherein at least one of the first link member (7) and the second link member (8) is in the shape of the storage state, and A keyboard switch characterized by being integrally formed integrally with the keyboard switch. 2. One end of the first link member (7) or the second link member (8) is bent into a U-shaped cross section to be integrally connected to the support plate (18), and the bent portion (32) is formed. 2. The keyboard switch according to claim 1, wherein (1) is a moving end.