KR200330102Y1 - A Key-Input Apparatus Provided Plural-Layer Dome Switch - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a key input device having a plurality of stage dome switches. According to the present invention, there is provided a key input device comprising: a multi-stage metal dome having a first metal dome with an upper end opening and a second metal dome extending to protrude upward from an opening of the first metal dome; The first and second metal domes are selectively connected to each other, and include a plurality of stage contacts formed on the PCB, so that different signals may be input depending on the state in which the plurality of metal domes are pressed.

Description

Key input device with multiple stage dome switch {A Key-Input Apparatus Provided Plural-Layer Dome Switch}

The present invention relates to a key input device, and more particularly, to a key input device having a multi-stage dome switch configured to enable a different signal input according to a state in which a user presses the metal dome in multiple stages.

1A is a plan view illustrating a general key input device equipped with a dome switch, and FIG. 1B is a plan view illustrating a general metal dome. FIG. 2A is an exemplary cross-sectional view showing a-a 'cross section of FIG. 1A, and FIG. 2B is a plan view illustrating an electrical contact.

According to the illustrated key input device 10, a plurality of electrical contacts are formed on the printed circuit board (11) on which the electronic circuit is printed so as to transmit the signal when the key button is pressed.

Dome switch 12 is installed on the PCB. The dome switch 12 is installed on the upper portion of the PCB 11 corresponding to the position where the key button of the key input device 10 is installed, and is pressurized by pressing the upper key button.

The metal dome 13 of the illustrated dome switch 12 forms the shape of a circular dome. The lower portion 13a of the metal dome 13 in close contact with the PCB 11 is connected to one end of a circuit of the PCB. It is installed in the state electrically connected to the contact 11a. The second contact 11b installed at the inner diameter of the first contact 11a is connected to the other end of the PCB circuit, and is normally placed in an electrically disconnected state from the first contact 11a.

When the user presses the key button, the metal dome 13 of the dome switch 12 located below is pressed, causing elastic deformation so that the upper end of the metal dome 12 is connected to the second contact 11b. In this case, a specific signal can be inputted.

However, the conventional key input device having the above configuration has the following limitations.

When pressing the metal dome 13 of the dome switch 12 through the key button, only one signal is input regardless of the pressing state, and in order to input another signal, a program or a separate switch is programmed to change the pressing time. Must be provided.

An object of the present invention is to implement a key input device having a multi-stage dome switch that enables the input of different signals according to the user's pressing state using one dome switch.

1A is a plan view illustrating a general key input device.

Figure 1b is a plan view illustrating a typical metal dome.

Figure 2a is a cross-sectional view illustrating an installation structure of a typical dome switch.

Figure 2b is a plan view illustrating an electrical contact to which a typical dome switch is connected.

Figure 3a is a cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of a key input device having a multi-stage dome switch according to the present invention.

Figure 3b is a plan view illustrating a two-stage metal dome of an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a plan view illustrating an electrical contact of an embodiment of the present invention.

4A and 4B are cross-sectional views illustrating a state of use of the key input device according to the present invention.

* Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings *

20 ............ Dupe Dome Switch 20a ............. Dupe Metal Dome

23 ......... the first metal dome 25 ......... the second metal dome

30 ......... Electric contacts 31 ......... 1st contact

33 ......... 2nd contact 35 ......... 3rd contact

Key input device having a multi-stage dome switch according to the present invention for achieving the above object, the first metal dome having an upper end opening, and the second metal dome extending to protrude upward from the opening of the first metal dome And a multi-stage metal dome having; The first and second metal domes are selectively connected to each other, and include a plurality of stage contacts formed on the PCB, so that different signals may be input depending on the state in which the plurality of metal domes are pressed.

The multi-stage metal dome forms a shape in which a circular dome is overlapped up and down. It is characterized by.

The second metal dome is a plural-stage metal dome, and the PCB is characterized in that additional contacts are formed corresponding to the number of stages.

Hereinafter, a configuration of a preferred embodiment of a key input device having a multi-stage dome switch according to the present invention having the configuration as described above will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 3a is a cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of a key input device having a multi-stage dome switch according to the present invention, Figure 3b is a plan view illustrating a dome switch of the present invention, Figure 3c is a plan view illustrating the configuration of an electrical contact ..

The multiple stage dome switch 20 of the illustrated embodiment includes a plurality of stage metal domes 20a and connection terminals 30 to which respective portions of the multiple stage metal domes 20a are selectively connected.

The multi-stage metal dome 20a according to the present exemplary embodiment includes an upper end portion extending from the upper end of the first metal dome 23 having the opening 21 and the upper end of the first metal dome 23 to cover the opening 21. 2 metal dome (25) is included.

The first and second metal domes 23 and 25 form a circular dome, and the multi-stage metal dome 20a of the present embodiment has a circular dome of approximately different sizes overlapping with each other.

When the two-stage dome switch 20 of the present embodiment is pressed from the upper side, the state in which the pressure applied to the multiple-stage metal dome 20a is elastically deformed according to the strength is different.

That is, when a weak pressure is applied to the plurality of metal domes 20a, only the first metal dome 23 at the bottom causes elastic deformation, and when the strong pressure is added, the second metal dome 25 is It is formed to cause elastic deformation.

It is preferable to change the deformation state according to the strength of the pressure and to adjust the size and shape of the first and second metal domes 23 and 25 so that the second metal dome 25 does not cause elastic deformation due to the weak pressure. Do.

In the present embodiment, the first and second metal domes 23 and 25 of the plurality of stage dome switches 20 and the metal dome 20a form a circular dome. The present invention is not limited thereto, and the elliptical shape may be in an overlapping state, and various shapes may be deformed on the premise that the degree of elastic deformation may be changed according to the strength of the pressure.

The multi-stage metal dome 20a is installed on the upper portion of the electrical contact 30 of the printed circuit board (PCB) 30 'and is installed to enable selective signal transmission to the PCB 30'.

That is, a first contact 31 is formed at a corresponding portion that contacts the lower end 23a of the first metal dome 23 of the PCB 30 ′, that is, the upper end 23b of the first metal dome 23, namely, The second contact point 33 is formed at a portion corresponding to the lower end of the second metal dome 25, and the third contact point 35 is formed at the centrifugal portion corresponding to the upper end portion 25a of the second metal dome 25. do.

Each electrical contact 30 is also preferably formed in a shape corresponding to the shape of the first and second metal domes 23 and 25, and as in this embodiment, the first, second and third contacts 31, 33, 35 may be provided on a concentric circle, and the shape of the contact point and the location of the contact point may be different depending on the shape of the first and second metal domes 23 and 25 and their installation positions.

The first, second, and third contacts 31, 33, and 35 are in an electrically disconnected state, and the first, second, and third contacts 31, 33, and 35 are each electrically disconnected by the first and second metal domes 23, 25 in order to be able to input a specific signal. The contacts shall be so constructed that they are energized.

In addition, different signals may be input using the plurality of stage dome switches 20 depending on whether each of the metal domes 23 and 25 is connected to each of the contacts 31, 33, and 35.

In addition, according to the embodiment, the shape of the dome switch is not limited to the two-stage dome switch, it is also possible to operate as a multi-stage dome switch. In this case, it is also possible to form the second metal dome into a multi-stage metal dome, in which case the electrical contact should be formed so that the contact is added in the form of a corresponding single-stage contact.

In the case of the multi-stage dome switch, the position where the plurality of domes are installed is not limited to overlapping the first, second and third metal domes, respectively. It is also possible to be formed side by side on the upper end of the dome and various modifications are possible.

Next will be described the operation of the key input device having a multi-stage dome switch according to the present invention having the configuration as described above.

4A and 4B are cross-sectional views illustrating a state of use of the key input device according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 4A, when the multi-stage dome switch 20 is weakly pressed, the upper end 23b of the first metal dome 23 is connected to the second contact 33, and the first contact point 31 is connected to the first contact point 31. By allowing the second contact 33 to be in an energized state, it is possible to input a specific signal.

As shown in FIG. 4B, when the multi-stage dome switch 20 is strongly pressed, the upper end 23b of the first metal dome 23 is connected to the second contact 33, and the second metal dome 25 The end 25a is connected to the third contact 35 so that a specific signal input to the second metal dome 25 can be input.

According to the present embodiment according to the above configuration, since the connection state of the multiple stage dome switch 20 is selectively changed according to the strength of the strength of the user pressing the metal dome 20a, the same multiple stage By using the dome switch 20, it is possible to input different signals depending on the strength.

The scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, but is defined by the utility model registration claims, and it is obvious that the modifications and modifications made by those skilled in the art are included in the scope of the same as those described in the utility model registration claims. .

According to the present invention as described above, it is possible to input different signals using the same switch by varying the strength of pressing the dome switch, it is possible to increase the utilization of the space provided with the key input device, It is possible to input a reasonable signal (e.g., when pressing weakly, and to input a signal when pressing strongly), thereby improving user satisfaction.

Claims (3)

A multi-stage metal dome having a first metal dome with an upper end opening and a second metal dome extending upwardly from the opening of the first metal dome; And a plurality of stage contacts formed on a PCB to which the first and second metal domes are selectively connected, Key input device having a multi-stage dome switch characterized in that it is possible to input different signals according to the state in which the multi-stage metal dome is pressed. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-stage metal dome forms a shape where the circular dome is overlapped up and down, and the multi-stage contact is provided on a concentric circle, And a plurality of dome switches, wherein the first and second metal domes are selectively connected according to the pressurized state. The key input device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second metal dome is a plural-stage metal dome, and a contact point is additionally formed in the PCB to correspond to the number of stages.