JPH113161A - Keyboard device and personal computer using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a keyboard device without movement of a contact constitution member, capable of being easily connected to an electric circuit in a personal computer, excellent in reliability, low in cost and thin in thickness by vertically moving a supporting member against the contact constitution member. SOLUTION: The contact constitution member S with plural fixed contacts and working contacts and a holding member 5 to hold plural link mechanism parts 6 to support each of plural keytops 7 to be individually moved are provided. The holding member 5 is arranged on the contact constitution member S, the contacts are switched by transferring the key tops 7 and in addition, the holding member 5 is set to be vertically moved against the contact constitution member S. In addition, the keyboard device is constituted to vertically move the holding member 5 by a working member 9 by arranging the working member 9 on the contact constitution member S. The holding member 5 is provided with plural installation parts 5a on which a dome member 8 is installed, bearing parts 5b, 5c arranged around the installation parts 5a and plural inclination parts 5d arranged at an outer peripheral part.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a keyboard device suitable for use in a notebook-type personal computer or the like, which is required to be thin, and a personal computer using the keyboard device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional keyboard device and a personal computer using the keyboard device will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7 show a state in which the keyboard device K is applied to a personal computer.
Has a plate-shaped support substrate 50 and a contact component S slidably mounted on the support substrate 50. The contact forming member S is formed by sequentially laminating a protective sheet 51, a sheet 52 for fixed contacts, a sheet 53 for spacers, a sheet 54 for movable contacts, and a protective sheet 55 from the bottom, and adheres each other. At the position of the hole 53a which is integrated and provided in the spacer sheet 53, the sheet 5
The contact 52a provided on the sheet 2 and the contact 54a provided on the sheet 54 face each other.

The keyboard device K includes a holding member 62 provided on the contact member S, a link mechanism 56 attached to the holding member 62 and having a plurality of supporting pieces intersecting with each other, It has a key top 57 attached to the mechanism portion 56 and a dome portion 58 made of rubber and having an upper portion facing the crossing portion of the link mechanism portion 56 and a lower portion attached to the contact component S. Then, such a keyboard device K is provided with an openable / closable lid 6 having a projection 59.
0 is housed and mounted in a case 61 with
A personal computer is configured.

[0004] Such a personal computer is shown in FIG.
As shown in (A), when the lid 60 is opened, the contact component S moves to the left by a pressing member (not shown) and hits the stopper piece 61 a of the case 61. . At this time, the dome portion 58 is in a state of facing the contact point 54a. In this state, when the key top 57 is pressed downward against the spring property of the dome portion 58, the link mechanism portion 56 is moved downward around the intersection. Sinks in. Then
At the intersection of the link mechanism 56, the dome portion 58 is pressed downward, the dome portion 58 pushes the protective sheet 55 and the sheet 54, and the contact 54a contacts the contact 52a. When the key top 57 is released from the pressing, the dome 58 returns to its original state by the spring property, the link mechanism 56 and the key top 57 also return to the original state, and the contacts 52a and 54a are separated. . The switching of the contacts is performed in this manner.

When the lid 60 is closed after using the personal computer, as shown in FIG. 7 (B), the projection 59 of the lid 60 pushes the contact member S against a pressing member (not shown). Move to the right. Then, the contact component member S slides to the right while sliding on the support substrate 50 and the holding member 62, and the dome portion 58 also moves in the same direction, so that the dome portion 58 is disengaged from the crossing portion of the link mechanism portion 56. State. Then, the link mechanism 56, which has lost the pressing support, sinks with the key top 57, and reduces the height of the personal computer when the lid 60 is closed. Also, in the state shown in FIG.
When the contact member S is opened, the pressing of the protrusion 59 against the contact member S is released, and the contact member S is moved by the pressing member.
The dome portion 58 slides to the left while sliding on the holding member 62, and the dome portion 58 slides into the lower portion of the crossing portion of the link mechanism portion 56 while sliding, and pushes back the link mechanism portion 56 and the key top 57, and FIG. The state shown in FIG.
After that, the contacts are switched by the above-described operation.

[0006]

A conventional keyboard device and a personal computer using the keyboard device are:
Since the contact component S moves, there is a problem in that the electrical connection between the electric circuit in the personal computer and the moving contact component S is complicated and expensive, and the electrical reliability is poor. Further, since the entire surface of the contact member S is in sliding contact with the holding member 62 and the support substrate 50, the protection sheets 51 and 55 are required up and down in order to improve the life, which increases the cost. In addition, since the dome portion 58 comes into sliding contact with the link mechanism portion 56, there is a problem that the service life cannot be prolonged, and furthermore, the sliding is not smooth, the smooth sliding cannot be performed, and the operability is poor.

[0007]

As a first means for solving the above-mentioned problems, a contact component having a plurality of fixed contacts and a movable contact and a plurality of key tops are individually moved. And a holding member for holding a plurality of link mechanism parts that support as possible, disposing the holding member on the contact member, switching the contact by moving the key top, and The holding member can be moved up and down with respect to the contact member. Also,
As a second solution, an operating member is provided on the contact member, and the holding member is moved up and down by the operating member. Further, as a third solving means, a keyboard device according to claim 1 is provided, the keyboard device is housed in a case provided with a lid, and the holding member is moved upward by opening the lid, The configuration is such that the holding member is movable downward from above by the closing operation of the lid. As a fourth solution, a keyboard device according to claim 2 is provided, and the opening and closing operation of the lid moves the operating member. Further, as a fifth solution, the key top moves slightly downward when the lid is closed.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A keyboard device of the present invention and a personal computer using the keyboard device are shown in FIGS.
FIG. 1 is a sectional side view of an essential part of a personal computer of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view of a personal computer of the present invention with a part thereof omitted, and FIG. 3 relates to a personal computer of the present invention and a keyboard device. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the keyboard device incorporated in the personal computer, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is an operation explanatory diagram of the personal computer of the present invention.

Next, a keyboard device according to the present invention and a personal computer using the keyboard device will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5 show a state in which the keyboard device K is applied to a personal computer. The keyboard device K is provided with a contact component S. The contact forming member S includes an insulating substrate 2 for fixed contacts which also serves as a flat supporting substrate made of an insulating plate, a spacer sheet 3 provided on the insulating substrate 2, The movable contact sheet 4 provided above is laminated, adhered to each other, and integrated. A large number of contacts (not shown) are provided on the insulating substrate 2 for fixed contacts and the sheet 4 for movable contacts, respectively.
At the positions of a large number of holes 3a provided in the spacer sheet 3,
Contact constituent members S are configured to face each other up and down.

The keyboard device K has a holding member 5 provided on the contact member S, and a link mechanism 6 attached to the holding member 5 and having a plurality of support pieces 6a and 6b intersecting with each other. A large number of key tops 7 attached to the link mechanism 6, and the upper part faces the key tops 7,
The lower portion has a large number of dome members 8 made of rubber attached to the holding member 5 and a U-shaped flat plate-shaped operating member 9. The holding member 5 is made of a synthetic resin molded product, has a plurality of L-shaped cylindrical mounting sections 5a for mounting the dome member 8, and a support provided around the mounting section 5a. It has portions 5b and 5c and a plurality of inclined portions 5d (see FIGS. 2 and 3) provided on the outer peripheral portion.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, bearings 7a and 7b are provided on the lower surface of the key top 7, and one support piece 6a of the link mechanism 6 has a holding member at both ends thereof. 5 and the support portion 7a of the key top 7, and the other support piece 6b has both ends of the support portion 5b of the holding member 5 and the support portion 7b of the key top 7.
And the two support pieces 6a and 6b intersect each other while being fixed at the intermediate portion. The lower part of the dome member 8 is attached to the holding member 5 by appropriate means, and the upper part is in contact with the key top 7.
As shown in FIG. 6, the spring property of the dome member 8 constantly presses the link mechanism portion 6 and the key top 7 upward, and each dome member 8 has its projection 8a formed in the hole 3 of the seat 3.
a.

As shown in FIG. 2, the U-shaped operating member 9 is placed on the sheet 4 at a position deviating from the arrangement region R of the key top 7, and the plurality of projecting pieces 9a are held. The member 5 is located below the inclined portion 5d. The operating member 9 is slidably mounted on the seat 4, and the operating member 9 allows the holding member 5
Moves up and down. With such a configuration, the keyboard device K is formed.

Such a keyboard device K is housed and mounted in a case 11 provided with a lid 10 which can be opened and closed, to constitute a personal computer. When the keyboard device K is attached to the case 11, the operation piece 12 interlocking with the opening / closing operation of the lid 10 is hooked into the hole 9b of the operation member 9 as shown in FIG. It is designed to slide. As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, when the lid 10 is opened, the protruding piece 9a of the operating member 9 is connected to the inclined portion 5 of the holding member 5 as shown in FIGS.
Thus, the holding member 5 has been displaced downward by its own weight. When the key top 7 is pressed downward against the spring property of the dome member 8 in the state shown in FIG. 3, the link mechanism section 6 sinks downward around the intersection. Then, the dome member 8 is inverted, the protrusion 8 a pushes the sheet 4, and the contact provided on the sheet 4 contacts the contact provided on the insulating substrate 2. When the pressing of the key top 7 is released, the link mechanism 6 and the key top 7 return to the original state while the dome member 8 returns to its original state, and the movable contact and the fixed contact are separated. State. The switching of the contacts is performed in this manner.

When the lid 10 is closed after using the personal computer, the operating member 9 causes the operating member 9 to move in the direction of arrow X (FIG. 1).
5), the protruding piece 9a of the operating member 9 sinks below the inclined portion 5d of the holding member 5, and moves the holding member 5 upward, as shown in FIG. At the same time as the lid 10 is closed, the key top 57 is pressed by the lid 10, and the link mechanism 6 sinks together with the key top 7, thereby reducing the height of the personal computer when the lid 10 is closed. At the same time, the dome member 8 is pushed, and as shown in FIG.

When the lid 10 is opened in the state shown in FIG.
The actuating piece 12 causes the actuating member 9 to move in the direction of the arrow Y (see FIG. 1), the protruding piece 9a of the actuating member 9 being disengaged from the inclined portion 5d of the holding member 5, and the holding member 5 being self-weighted While moving downward, the lid 10 is released from pressing on the key top 7, the dome member 8 returns to its original state by its own spring property, and the key top 7 and the link mechanism section 6 return to the original state. 3 will be as shown in FIG. After that, the contacts are switched by the above-described operation.

[0016]

According to the keyboard device K of the present invention, the holding member 5 is moved up and down with respect to the contact member S, so that the contact member S does not move. In addition, the connection is simple, the reliability is good, the cost is low, and a thin keyboard device can be provided. In addition, since the contact member S does not slide, no protective sheet is required, and an inexpensive member can be provided. Further, since the holding member 5 is moved up and down by the operating member 9, a movable configuration of the holding member 5 can be obtained with a simple configuration, and a product with good productivity and low cost can be provided. In the personal computer of the present invention, the holding member 5 is moved up and down by the opening and closing operation of the lid 10, so that the contact constituting member S does not move, and therefore, the connection with the electric circuit in the personal computer is simple. It is possible to provide a thin personal computer with good reliability and low cost. In addition, since the holding member 5 is moved up and down via the operating member 9 by the opening and closing operation of the lid 10, an inexpensive personal computer with a simple configuration and good productivity can be provided. Further, when the lid 10 is closed, the key top 7 is pressed, so that a thin personal computer can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional side view of a main part of a personal computer of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the personal computer of the present invention with a part thereof omitted;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a keyboard device incorporated in the personal computer and the keyboard device according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the personal computer of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a partial sectional side view of a conventional personal computer.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration and operation of a conventional personal computer and keyboard device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 K Keyboard device S Contact component member 2 Insulating substrate 3 Sheet 3a Hole 4 Sheet 5 Holding member 5a Attachment portion 5b, 5c Support portion 5d Inclined portion 6 Link mechanism portion 6a, 6b Support piece 7 Key top 7a, 7b Support portion 8 Dome member 8a Projection 9 Operating member 9a Projection piece 9b Hole 10 Lid 11 Case 12 Operation piece

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A contact member having a plurality of fixed contacts and a movable contact, and a holding member holding a plurality of link mechanisms for individually and movably supporting a plurality of key tops, respectively. And disposing the holding member on the contact component, switching the contact by moving the key top, and enabling the holding member to move up and down with respect to the contact component. Keyboard device. 2. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein an operating member is arranged on said contact member, and said holding member is moved up and down by said operating member. 3. A keyboard device according to claim 1, further comprising:
The keyboard device is housed in a case having a lid, and the holding member is moved upward by opening the lid, and the holding member is moved downward from above by closing the lid. A personal computer characterized by the following. 4. A keyboard device according to claim 2, further comprising:
4. The personal computer according to claim 3, wherein said operating member is movable by opening and closing said lid. 5. The personal computer according to claim 3, wherein the key top moves slightly downward when the lid is closed.