JPS60160523A - Keyboard and its key structure - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a key structure of a keyboard used in a computer keyboard device or the like.

〔overview〕

The present invention provides a key structure for a keyboard equipped with a stabilizer mechanism that prevents the keys from tilting, by attaching an arm provided with a flange as the stabilizer mechanism to the shaft of the key, and housing the flange in a guide section parallel to the shaft. In addition, by supporting the crank-shaped link rod at the base of the keys and keyboard, the tilt of the keys is kept to a minimum no matter where you press the key operation surface, allowing normal key operations with a light touch. It has been made possible.

[Conventional technology]

A keyboard has a large number of keys, each of which has a different size and shape and is arranged at a position that is easy to operate, in order to visually display each function to the operator. However,
Frequently used "blank" keys, "shift" keys, etc.
In particular, since the operation surface is wide, it is rare for the central part to be pressed down. Therefore, there is a need for a key having a structure that allows normal switching operations without tilting the key even when the end of the key is pressed, and various improvements have been made in the past.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

The present invention further improves the structure of conventional keys such that the tilt of the key is minimized no matter where on the operating surface of the key is pressed, allowing normal operation even with a light touch. The purpose is to provide a keyboard and its key structure.

[Means for solving problems]

The key structure of the keyboard of the first aspect of the present invention includes a key shaped to represent each key function, a shaft that is coupled to the key and transmits the force applied to the key, and a shaft that is coupled to the shaft to prevent the shaft from wobbling. In the key structure of the keyboard including an arm part and a guide part of this arm part,
The arm section and the guide section extend in different directions depending on the shape of the key, and have a structure in which a force acts in the direction opposite to the inclination of the shaft caused by the force of pressing down the key, and in the direction in which the tightening force is released. It is characterized by

A keyboard according to a second aspect of the present invention includes a shaft that transmits a force applied to a key, an arm that is coupled to the shaft to prevent wobbling of the shaft, and a guide section for this arm, wherein the arm is The guide portion is characterized in that it has a structure that provides a moment in the opposite direction to the inclination of the shaft caused by the force applied to the key.

Preferably, the arm portion extends from the shaft to the distal flange in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the shaft, and the inner surface of the flange is in close contact with the guide portion parallel to the shaft.

The arm portion preferably has a structure extending from the shaft on a plane on one or two sides passing through the axis of the shaft in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the shaft.

A third aspect of the present invention provides a link rod including an intermediate straight portion that terminates at a crank portion, a clip portion integrally formed on a key to hold the crank portion of the link rod, and an intermediate straight portion of the link rod. in a mechanism for supporting keys of a long, relatively narrow keyboard, including a retainer and a support integrally molded into the base to retain the link rod, the retainer and the support being integrally molded into the base to hold the It is characterized by a structure that is arranged as a clip means that rotatably holds the intermediate straight portion.

The support part has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape with a recess into which the link rod fits, and the holding part is an L-shaped member, and both the support part and the holding part have a space between them that can accommodate the rod. Preferably, the structure protrudes from the base.

A fourth aspect of the present invention is that the base of the keyboard includes a clip means for supporting a link bar remote from the surface thereof, and the clip means has a supporting part and a holding part on which the link bar is held by the clip means. arranged at intervals along the line, the support part using the legs of the U-shaped member,
The holding portion is characterized by a structure that uses the remaining portion of the U-shaped member.

One support part is sandwiched between two holding parts on both sides, or
Alternatively, it is preferable that one holding part is sandwiched between two supporting parts on both sides.

(Function) The first invention of the present invention is an improvement of the key structure, and the second invention is a keyboard equipped with this improved key.The first and second inventions provide a stabilizer on the shaft of the key. By attaching a flange to the tip of the arm and making contact with the guide part parallel to the shaft when the key is pressed, it is possible to prevent the key from tilting and enable normal key operation. .

Furthermore, by providing a plurality of arms depending on the shape of the key, the inclination of the key can be kept to a minimum.

A third aspect of the present invention is to provide a crank-shaped link rod,
In the key structure in which both ends are clipped to the key and the crank-shaped central part is clipped to the main body of the keyboard, the clip part is composed of a support part and a holding part, and the link rod can be supported by the interaction of the clip part, This link rod prevents the key from tilting and allows normal key operation.

The fourth invention of the present invention is an improvement in the shape of the support part and the holding part of the clip part provided on the main body of the keyboard,
By providing the support portion on the main body and protruding the L-shaped holding portion from the bottom of the hole drilled in the main body, the link rod can be supported between the support portion and the holding portion.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the key structure of the keyboard of the present invention will be explained based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a key structure diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, a key 2 is attached to a shaft 1. The keystroke operation is performed by pressing key 2.

Two arms 3.4 are attached to the shaft 1 and extend in opposite directions in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the shaft 1. The arms 3.4 are each provided with a rectangular flange 5.6 at their outer ends. The shaft 1, the arm 3.4 and the flange 5.6 are housed in a complementary housing 7 containing their guide parts. The guide portion of the shaft l and its housing 7 are provided with splines (not shown) to prevent the shaft 1 from rotating within the guide portion.
is provided. The arm 3.4 extends in the direction of the short side of the rectangular key 2.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line A-A (FIG. 1) of the key structure of one embodiment. In FIG. 2, the key 2 is movable in the axial direction of the shaft 1, and by applying a downward force to the key 2, electrical contacts at the bottom of the key 2 are closed. The key 2 is pushed upward from the lower end of the shaft 1 by an elastic body (not shown) having a rebound force. The arm 3.4 is configured such that the flange 5.6 comes into contact with the inside of the guide portion of the housing 7 when a force is applied to the key 2 at a position deviating from its center and the shaft 1 is at about f. The arm 3.4 is housed between the parallel walls connecting the shaft guide part and the flange guide part of the housing 7.

FIG. 3 shows a state in which the shaft 1 and arm 3.4 of the key 2 are tilted, and a downward force F is applied to or near the end of the key 2, causing the shaft 1 to tilt and further downward. Shows where force is applied to. Accordingly, the arm 3.4 also comes to a close, the front edge of the flange 6 comes into contact with the inner wall of the guide part of the housing 7, and the rear edge of the flange 5 also comes into contact with the inner wall of the guide part of the housing 7. therefore,
Arm 3.4 is given a moment in the opposite direction;
It is designed to slide up and down while contacting the guide part without tilting any further. That is, shaft 1 and arm 3
．． 4 can be moved downward by force F, regardless of the position where force F is applied.

The key 2 is generally rectangular and has an arm 3.4 parallel to its long side when viewed from above. Furthermore, it is also possible to form the arms deviating from the line of the arms 3.4 perpendicular to the axis of the shaft 1. Therefore, no matter where force F is applied, shaft 1 and arm 3.4 can move downward without tilting.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the structure of an L-shaped key provided with three arm portions. In FIG. 4, a shaft 1 with an L-shaped key 8 is provided with arms 3.4 and 9;
Furthermore, flanges 5.6 and 10 are attached to the ends of the arms 3.4 and 9. The arm 3.4 is perpendicular to the plane containing the axis of the shaft 1. Arm 9 is also perpendicular to the axis of shaft l. Arm 3.4.9
extends further outward from the outer end of the key 8.

The keys shown in FIG. 4 perform similar operations to the keys shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the back side of a structure for suppressing the inclination of a key, which is particularly used for a horizontally long key. In Figure 5,
In the key structure of a keyboard used in a computer keyboard or the like, a shaft 21 is attached to a key 20 operated by an operator. The key structure shown in FIG. 5 is viewed from the back side, and the pressing motion of the key 20 is an upward movement in FIG. The movable key 20 is supported at the base of the keyboard body by a link rod with a crank part 22,23 connected by an intermediate straight part 24. The crank parts 22 , 23 of the link rods are each supported by clip parts 25 , 26 which are integrally molded on the key 20 . The intermediate straight part 24 of the link rod has a holding part and a support part 27.28.2 integrally molded on the base part.
Supported by 9.30.

The holding portion 27 includes a first portion extending perpendicularly from the bottom surface of the base portion and a second portion parallel to the base portion. On the other hand, the support portion 28 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape with a recess 33 into which the intermediate straight portion 24 of the link rod having a circular cross section is fitted. This intermediate straight portion 24 is held down by a jaw portion formed between the second portion of the holding portion 27 and the bottom surface of the base portion. A pressing part is formed between the holding part 27 and the supporting part 2. The holding part 27 has a hole 3 made in the base part.
It protrudes from I and is adapted to sandwich and support the link rod between it and the support portion 28. Holding section 29 and supporting section 30
has the same function as the holding part 27 and the supporting part 28,
It is located on the opposite side with the intermediate straight portion 24 of the link rod interposed therebetween.

The four jaws formed by the clip part 25.26, the holding part 27.29 and the support part 28.30 are attached to the link rod 2.
2.23.24 are opened in the same direction to facilitate insertion.

FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 are diagrams showing a clip portion of a link rod constituted by a support portion and a holding portion. In FIGS. 6 and 7, the holding parts and the supporting parts are two holding parts 27, 40. Alternatively, it is a configuration of two support parts 28.41 that straddle one holding part 27. A space is provided between the holding part and the supporting part, just enough to accommodate the intermediate straight part 24 of the link rod. That is, the configuration shown in FIG. 5 can be achieved by replacing the supporting parts 28 and 29 with one supporting part, or by providing a holding part in the center and providing two supporting parts with it sandwiched therebetween.

As described above, one of the features of the key structure according to the present invention is that the arm extends from the shaft in a direction transverse to the axis of the shaft, and a flange is attached to the end of the arm. The inner surface of the flange abuts against a stud located parallel to the axis of the shaft. The shaft is tilted so that the arm part is pressed against the contact between one flange and the guide part. When a tilting force acts on the arm section through the shaft, a moment acts in the opposite direction to correct the tilt.

On the other hand, the arm portion extends in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the shaft and lies in a plane that crosses the axis of the shaft.

The arms perpendicular to the axis of the shaft may lie in more than one plane transverse to the axis of the shaft. That is, two or more arm portions may extend radially from different positions on the shaft.

Further, the arrangement of the holding portion and the supporting portion at intervals facilitates molding of the member.

The clip portion can be constructed from various combinations of holding portions and support portions. For example, it is constituted by one holding part and one supporting part, by a support part of a roof spanning two holding parts, or by one holding part spanning two supporting parts.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, the present invention allows normal operation with a light touch because the inclination of the key is minimized regardless of the keystroke position even when the key has a large operation surface.

In addition, since the structure is very simple, it is easy to manufacture and assemble, and it is strong enough for normal use, so keys and keyboards with high reliability can be provided at low cost. .

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a key structure diagram showing an embodiment of the first and second aspects of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line A-A (FIG. 1) of the key structure of one embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state in which the shaft and arm of the key are tilted. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the structure of an L-shaped key provided with three arm sections. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a structure for suppressing the inclination of a key according to the third aspect of the present invention. 6 and 7 are diagrams showing a clip portion of a link rod constituted by a support portion and a holding portion according to the fourth aspect of the present invention. 1.21...Shaft, 2.8.20...Key, 3
．． 4.9... Arm part, 5.6.10.11... Flange, 7... Housing, 22.23... Crank part of link rod, 24... Middle straight part of link rod, 2
5.26...Clip part, 27.29.40...Holding part, 28.30.41...Support part, 31.32...
・Hole, 33.34...dent. Patent applicant representative patent attorney Naotaka IdeFig, 2 Fig, j

Claims (9)

[Claims] (1) In a keyboard that includes a shaft that transmits force applied to a key, an arm that is coupled to the shaft to prevent the shaft from wobbling, and a guide for this arm, the arm and guide are connected to the key. A keyboard characterized by having a structure that provides a moment in the opposite direction to the inclination of a shaft caused by an applied force. (2) The arm part extends from the shaft to the distal flange in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the shaft, and the inner surface of the flange is in close contact with a guide part parallel to the shaft. The keyboard described in section 1). (3) Claim (1) or (2), wherein the arm part has a structure extending from the shaft on a plane passing through the axis of the shaft in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the shaft. The keyboard described in. (4) The arm part has a structure extending from the shaft on two or more planes passing through the axis of the shaft in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the shaft. The keyboard described in. (5) A key shaped to represent each key function, a shaft that is connected to the key and transmits the force applied to the key, an arm that is connected to the shaft and prevents the shaft from wobbling, and a guide section for this arm. In the key structure of the keyboard, the arm portion and the guide portion extend in different directions depending on the shape of the key, and a tightening force is released in a direction opposite to the inclination of the shaft caused by the force of pressing down the key. A keyboard key structure characterized by a structure in which force is applied in a direction. (6) The arm part extends from the shaft to the distal flange in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the shaft, and the inner surface of the flange is in close contact with a guide part parallel to the shaft. Key structure of the keyboard described in section 5). (7) The arm portion has a structure extending from the shaft on a plane passing through the axis of the shaft in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the shaft.
Key structure of the keyboard described in section 6). (8) The arm part has a structure extending from the shaft on a plane on two sides passing through the axis of the shaft in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the shaft. Key structure of the keyboard described in section ). (9) A link rod including an intermediate straight portion that terminates at the crank portion; a clip portion integrally formed on the key to hold the crank portion of this link rod; and a clip portion that holds the intermediate straight portion of the link rod. A mechanism for supporting keys of a long and relatively narrow keyboard including a holding part and a support part integrally molded in a base part, wherein the holding part and the support part rotate the middle straight part of the link rod by their interaction. A mechanism for supporting keys of a keyboard, characterized in that the structure is arranged as a clip means for freely clipping. 0ω The support part has an almost rectangular parallelepiped shape with a recess into which the link rod fits, and the holding part is an L-shaped member. Both the support part and the holding part have a space between them that can accommodate the rod. 10. The mechanism for supporting keys of a keyboard according to claim 9, wherein the mechanism is a structure projecting from the base. α0 Claim (9) or aω has a structure in which one supporting part is sandwiched on both sides by two holding parts, or one holding part is sandwiched on both sides by two supporting parts. a'ma a for supporting the keys of the keyboard as described in 1. At the base of the keyboard including clip means for supporting a link bar remote from the surface thereof, said clip means includes a supporting part and a retaining part held by the clip means. The structure is such that the support part uses the legs of the U-shaped member, and the holding part uses the remaining part of the U-shaped member. base of the keyboard. α-mouth According to claim (2), the structure is such that one support part is sandwiched on both sides by two holding parts, or one holding part is sandwiched on both sides by two support parts. base of the keyboard.