JPS6127026A - Keyboard switch - 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 [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to a keyboard switch widely used as a data input device such as information processing equipment.

[Prior art]

Conventionally, conductive rubber contact type keyboard switches have been widely used as this type of keyboard switch. This conductive rubber contact type keyboard switch has a dome-shaped rubber spring section, a printed circuit board made of a glass epoxy base material, etc., provided with fixed contacts, and a printed circuit board that faces the fixed contacts of the printed circuit board. It is formed from a movable contact made of conductive rubber provided on the inner surface of a dome-shaped rubber spring portion, and is fixed to the movable contact by pressing the key top provided on the outer surface of the dome-shaped rubber spring portion. The contacts are closed to ensure stable switch operation. In recent years, in order to improve the operability of keyboard switches, as shown in Figure 3, the arrangement of multiple key tops 1 on a keyboard (not shown) has been modified to curve from both ends to the center. An increasing number of sculptures are adopting the so-called sculpture arrangement. In order to adopt such a sculpture array in a keyboard, it is conceivable to curve the shape of the printed circuit board 2 to match the shape of the sculpture array, as shown in Fig. 4, but the rigidity of the printed circuit board 2 Due to its large size, it may break during bending or breakage of the wiring pattern formed on the printed circuit board 2. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 4(b), a method is adopted in which the printed circuit board 2 is not curved and the shapes of a plurality of key tops 1 are matched to the respective sculpture shapes.

However, a keyboard switch adopting such a sculpture arrangement has the disadvantage that the shape of each of the plurality of key tops 1 must be uniquely shaped to match the shape of the sculpture, which increases manufacturing man-hours and manufacturing costs. there were. Furthermore, in order to obtain keyboard switches with various sculptural arrangements having different curved shapes, it is necessary to make key tops with even more different shapes, which further increases manufacturing man-hours and manufacturing costs. On the other hand, in terms of functionality, the pressing force of the key top 1 is not applied perpendicularly to the fixed contacts provided on the printed circuit board 2, but is dispersed, resulting in poor touch feeling.
The drawback was that stable switch operation was not possible.

[Summary of the Invention] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object thereof is to provide a sculpture arrangement of various curved shapes in the arrangement of key tops without increasing manufacturing man-hours and manufacturing costs. To provide a keyboard switch which can be adopted and which also allows stable switch operation.

In order to achieve such an object, the present invention provides a fixed contact on a flexible insulating film so as to face a movable contact provided on the inner surface of a dome-shaped rubber spring portion, and further provides a fixed contact on a flexible insulating film. An auxiliary fixing plate is attached to the plate.

[Embodiments of the invention]

Hereinafter, the keyboard switch of the present invention will be explained in detail.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an embodiment of a keyboard switch according to the present invention. In the figure, 3 is a plate-shaped mounting with multiple 3 m rectangular windows.
As shown in the figure, a housing 5 into which a key stem 4 is inserted is fitted into the housing 5 from the lower part thereof, and a key top 6 is fixedly disposed on the upper part of the key stem 4.

Reference numeral 7 denotes a rubber spring sheet disposed below the mounting 3 and having a plurality of dome-shaped rubber springs 7m, and a movable contact 8 made of conductive rubber is provided on the inner surface of each dome-shaped rubber spring portion 7m. ing.

Reference numeral 9 denotes a film-like fixed contact sheet disposed at the bottom of the rubber spring sheet 7, which is made by printing, etching, or plating a conductive material such as carbon, silver, gold, or copper on a flexible insulating film such as polyester. A plurality of fixed contacts 10 and their wiring patterns are formed.

Reference numeral 11 denotes an auxiliary fixing plate attached to the lower part of the film-like fixed contact sheet 9. The rubber spring sheet 7 and the film-like fixed contact sheet 9 are attached between the auxiliary fixing plate 11 and the mounting 3 by screws 12 such that each movable contact 8 and each fixed contact 10 face each other, as shown in FIG. It will be fixed like this.

When the key top 6 of the keyboard switch configured in this manner is pressed, the dome-shaped rubber spring portion 7a is pressed down by the key stem 4, and the movable contact 8 made of conductive rubber moves downward to form a film-like fixed contact. It contacts the fixed contact 1G of the seat 9. At this time, since the auxiliary fixing plate 11 with high rigidity is attached to the lower part of the film-like fixed contact sheet 9, the multiple contacts can be closed by stable contact.

On the other hand, although FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate key tops with a normal arrangement, when a sculpture arrangement as shown in FIG. 3 is adopted for the key top arrangement, the mounting 3 and Auxiliary fixing plate 11
This is possible by using . That is, the film-like fixed contact sheet 9 has sufficient flexibility, so that it can be easily formed into a sculpture shape along the auxiliary fixing plate 11. Therefore, it becomes possible to adopt a sculpture arrangement with the same key top shape without having to make the shape of the key top 6 a unique shape that matches the sculpture shape, as in the conventional case.

Further, by using the mounting 3 and the auxiliary fixing plate 11 which are arbitrarily curved, it is possible to obtain keyboard switches with various sculpture arrangements having different curved shapes without changing the shape of the key top 6. Furthermore, in terms of functionality, since the pressing force of the key top 6 can be applied perpendicularly to the fixed contacts 10 provided on the film-like fixed contact sheet 9, the pressing force is not dispersed as in the conventional case. , enabling stable switch operation with a good touch feeling.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the keyboard switch according to the present invention, a fixing member is provided on the flexible insulating film so as to face the movable contact provided on the inner surface of the dome-shaped rubber spring portion, and the insulating film Since an auxiliary fixing plate is attached to the key top, it is possible to use key tops of the same shape and arrange the key tops in a sculptured arrangement, which eliminates the increase in manufacturing man-hours and manufacturing costs as in the past. do not have. Further, keyboards with various sculpture arrangements having different curved shapes can be obtained using key tops of the same shape, and the practical value thereof is high. Furthermore, in terms of functionality, the pressing force of the key top can be applied perpendicularly to the fixed contact, so the pressing force is not dispersed like in the past, and stable operation with a good touch feeling can be achieved. becomes possible.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing one embodiment of a keyboard switch according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of this keyboard switch, FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a sculpture arrangement adopted in this keyboard switch, and FIG. The figure is a front view of a keyboard employing a conventional sculpture layout. 3@φ pot/mounting, 411...O key stem,
5... Housing, 611... Key top, T...
...Rubber spring seat, 7a...-Rubber spring part, 8...Movable contact, 9...Film-like [
i1 contact sheet, 10... Fixed contact, 11...
Auxiliary fixing plate.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A movable member comprising a dome-shaped rubber spring portion, a flexible insulating film provided with a fixed contact, and a conductive rubber provided on the inner surface of the rubber spring portion and facing the fixed contact. A keyboard switch comprising a contact and an auxiliary fixing plate attached to the insulating film.