TW201403646A - Light emitting keyboard with light passage - Google Patents

Abstract

A light emitting keyboard with light passage includes: a substrate carrying a plurality of pressing unit, a circuit board disposed on the substrate and triggered by the plurality of pressing unit, and a light shielding unit disposed on the circuit board and provided with a transparent region and a non-transparent region. One non-transparent face of the circuit board and the non-transparent region of the light shielding unit define a light passage located between the substrate and the plurality of pressing unit, and at least one light emitting unit emitting light from the light passage and projecting light onto the plurality of pressing unit from the transparent region of the light shielding unit.

Description

Illuminated keyboard with optical channel

The invention relates to an illuminated keyboard, in particular to an illuminated keyboard for forming a light passage between a substrate and a plurality of pressing units.

The keyboard device is used as a device for outputting commands in a computer system, and the design focuses on the user's ability to input command signals comfortably and accurately. In the case of insufficient light, a user who is not familiar with the symbol and text configuration on the key cap is faced with the difficulty of quickly inputting the command signal. Therefore, in order to make the user clear in a dimly lit environment, Recognizing the symbols and text on the keycap, the manufacturer actively developed an illuminated keyboard suitable for use in the dark.

The conventional illuminating keyboards, such as the US Pat. No. 5,936,554, the US Pat. No. 7,278,750, the Republic of China Announcement No. 566612, No. 581961, etc., respectively disclose a plurality of keyboard devices having a light-emitting diode inside the button. A light-emitting diode disposed in the button provides a light source for a single button. However, the current standard keyboard configuration has more than one hundred buttons. If it is necessary to have corresponding LEDs in each button, the number of the entire keyboard components is bound to increase, which not only increases the manufacturing process and cost, but also makes the product impossible. Lightweight.

In order to solve the aforementioned deficiencies, the conventional illuminating keyboard has a light guide plate as a light-emitting element, such as US Pat. No. 6,648,530, US Pat. No. 6,860,612, No. 7,531,764, and Republic of China Announcement No. 516671, Patent No. 587800, No. 594546, and the like. It mainly replaces a large number of light-emitting diodes with an illuminating backing plate such as an electroluminescent sheet or an optical fiber panel. Because the illuminated keyboard can uniformly illuminate the entire keyboard through a single illuminated backplane, fewer parts are required and the assembly process and cost can be saved.

Although the light guide plate can achieve a uniform illumination effect, the result of excessive light dispersion will result in insufficient brightness of the light, and it is difficult to recognize the character symbols on each keycap.

In order to solve the aforementioned deficiencies, there is a non-uniform illuminating keyboard, such as a non-uniform illuminating keyboard disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 7,154,059, which is disposed between the keycap and the light guide plate. The shielding element is located at a position of the individual keycaps as a light transmissive area, and the position of the adjacent keycaps below the individual keycaps is an opaque area. The shielding element only allows light to pass through the light transmissive area, so that only the keycap of the keyboard produces brightness.

In addition to the aforementioned light guide plate, the prior art also uses a light guide strip as a light-emitting element. For example, the Patent No. 201115609 of the Republic of China discloses a keyboard portion and at least one light guide strip, and the keyboard portion includes a plurality of parallel lines. And a light-shielding strip disposed between any two adjacent pressing unit sets, and comprising at least one non-transmissive area and a light-transmitting area, the light guiding light is disposed on the substrate of the plurality of pressing unit sets The strip projects light directly to the keycaps at a predetermined angle of the light transmissive region. Such an embodiment fully utilizes the existing space of the keyboard to achieve the light-emitting effect, and is not only thinner but also lighter in weight than the illuminated keyboard using the light guide plate as the light-emitting element.

In addition to the above-described embodiment in which the light guide plate and the light guide strip are used as the light guiding portion to conduct the light source, in order to further reduce the thickness of the illuminated keyboard, the manufacturer has developed an illuminated keyboard that does not require a light guiding portion, such as directly using the circuit board as a light source. The illuminating keyboard includes a keycap, a bottom plate supporting the keycap, and an illuminating circuit board integrated with the button line and the illuminant, as disclosed in the Patent No. I320901 of the Republic of China. Because the light-emitting circuit board can provide a sufficient light source for the keycap, a thin and light-emitting keyboard can be realized. In another example, the illuminated keyboard includes a cover body assembled from an upper cover and a bottom cover, a keyboard portion disposed in the cover body, and a light emitting unit, as disclosed in the Patent Publication No. I350465. The bottom cover is provided with a first light guiding area, and the light emitting unit provides a light source to the first light guiding area of the cover body, and the light source is diffused in the first light guiding area and projected upward to the keyboard part. In this aspect, the light source is directly conducted in the light guiding region, and the keyboard portion can be illuminated without using the light guiding portion, and the lightening and thinning can also be achieved.

In the above patent case in which the light guiding region is used as the light guiding channel, in order to improve the uniform light emission, the missing characters on the key cap cannot be clearly recognized, except that a light-transmitting region and a non-light-transmitting region are provided between the keyboard portion and the bottom cover. The shielding component may further protrude at least one concentrating column corresponding to the position of the keyboard portion in the first light guiding region, thereby collectively inputting the light source of the keyboard portion.

According to the development of the aforementioned illuminated keyboard, the illuminated keyboard gradually develops toward the direction of lightness and non-uniform illumination. In order to achieve the purpose of thinning and thinning, the light guiding portion is preferably replaced by a light guiding space that does not occupy a physical space, and in order to achieve non-uniform light emission, it is important to define an opaque region and a light transmitting region in the keyboard. . Therefore, the industry has been brainstorming to propose an illuminated keyboard that combines light and non-uniform illumination.

The illuminated keyboard, which is conceived from the foregoing two features, can have the following two implementations if it is distinguished by the position of the light source.

In a first embodiment, a light source is disposed under the keyboard portion to project light from bottom to top. As disclosed in the Patent Publication No. 509955, the illuminated keyboard includes a keyboard portion, and a keyboard is disposed thereon. a backlight device under the keyboard portion, the backlight device providing the keyboard portion light source from below the keyboard portion.

In the second embodiment, the light source is disposed in the keyboard portion to project the light in the lateral direction. The light-emitting keyboard includes a keyboard portion and a light-emitting portion, and the keyboard portion has a light-emitting portion, as disclosed in US Pat. No. 8,144,035. a pressing plane and a substrate disposed under the pressing plane, the light emitting portion is configured to conduct light to a light-emitting interval formed between the pressing plane and the substrate, so that the light-emitting interval generates brightness.

Although the difference in light transmission distance causes the second embodiment to have higher brightness than the first embodiment, the second embodiment still has its absence, for example, a thin film in the keyboard. Most of the circuit boards are made of plastic material, so part of the light in the keyboard portion penetrates the thin film circuit board and is lost in the keyboard portion.

The main object of the present invention is to provide an illuminated keyboard which does not require any light guiding portion and which has both thin and non-uniform illumination characteristics.

A secondary object of the present invention is to improve the loss of light in the keyboard portion that penetrates the film circuit board and causes some of the light to be lost in the keyboard portion.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an illuminated keyboard having an optical channel, comprising a plurality of pressing units, a substrate carrying the plurality of pressing units, and a displacement member connected between the plurality of pressing units and the substrate to enable the plurality of pressing units A displacement stroke relative to the substrate is produced. The illuminated keyboard further includes a circuit board disposed on the substrate and configured to be triggered by the plurality of pressing units to generate a button command signal, disposed on the circuit board and having a light transmissive area and a non-transmissive area. a light shielding unit and at least one light emitting unit disposed between the circuit board and the light shielding unit. a non-transparent surface of the circuit board and a non-transmissive area of the light shielding unit define a light channel between the substrate and the plurality of pressing units, so that the at least one light emitting unit emits light in the light channel and The light transmitting area of the light shielding unit projects light to the plurality of pressing units.

In one embodiment, the circuit board includes an upper film, a lower film, and a spacer film disposed between the upper film and the lower film.

In one embodiment, the non-transmissive surface is a reflective layer or an opaque layer on the underlying film.

In one embodiment, the non-transmissive surface is a reflective layer or an opaque layer on the spacer film.

In one embodiment, the non-transmissive surface is a reflective layer or an opaque layer on the upper film.

In one embodiment, the underlying film is made of an opaque material or a reflective material.

In one embodiment, the spacer film is made of an opaque material or a reflective material.

In one embodiment, the upper film is made of an opaque material or a reflective material.

In one embodiment, the upper film is formed with an upper layer of button lines, and the lower layer of film is formed with a lower layer of button lines having a plurality of through holes for conducting the upper layer of button lines and the lower layer of button lines.

In an embodiment, the plurality of pressing units of each row is defined as a set of pressing units, and the at least one lighting unit is disposed between any two adjacent pressing unit sets in the optical channel.

In one embodiment, the at least one light emitting unit includes a light guiding strip and a plurality of light emitting elements embedded in the light guiding strip.

In one embodiment, each of the plurality of light emitting elements is a light emitting diode.

In one embodiment, the displacement member includes an interlocking mechanism connecting the substrate and the pressing unit, and an elastic member disposed in the linking mechanism.

In one embodiment, the light transmissive area of the shading unit is a through hole for the elastic element to trigger the circuit board in a displacement stroke relative to the substrate.

In one embodiment, the linkage mechanism is made of a light transmissive material.

In one embodiment, the elastic member is made of a light transmissive material.

In one embodiment, the substrate includes at least one positioning portion that fixes the linkage mechanism.

In an embodiment, the light-transmitting region corresponds to a plurality of pressing units, and the non-transmissive region corresponds to a position below the plurality of pressing units.

In one embodiment, each of the at least one light emitting unit is a light emitting diode.

Through the technical solutions described above, the present invention has the following advantages over the prior art:

1. Make sure that light is not lost from the keyboard. The invention utilizes a non-transmissive region of the shading unit and a non-transmissive surface of the circuit board to define an optical channel between the substrate and the plurality of pressing units. The light channel directs the light source emitted by the at least one light-emitting element to a single light exit in the keyboard portion, that is, a light-transmitting region of the light-shielding unit. In this way, the plurality of pressing units corresponding to the light-transmitting region can receive almost all the light emitted by the at least one light-emitting element.
2. It combines light and non-uniform illumination. The invention does not need to provide any light guiding portion, such as a light guide plate or a light guiding strip, and the high brightness effect can be achieved by using only one light channel, and the smaller the cross-sectional area of the light channel is, the more concentrated the light will be, so it is quite easy to satisfy the thin and light. demand. On the other hand, the light-transmitting area of the light-shielding unit corresponds to a position below the plurality of pressing sheets, and the non-light-transmitting area corresponds to a position not under the plurality of pressing units, and therefore, the present invention also has the characteristics of non-uniform light emission. .

The detailed description and technical contents of the present invention will now be described as follows:

Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 together for the structural decomposition diagrams (1) and (2) of the first embodiment of the present invention. The illuminated keyboard with optical channel of the present invention comprises a plurality of pressing units 10, a shading unit 20, at least one lighting unit 21, a circuit board 22, a substrate 11, and a bottom plate 12. The plurality of pressing units 10, the substrate 11, and the bottom plate 12 disposed under the substrate 11 are defined as a button portion. The substrate 11 is used to carry the plurality of pressing units 10. A displacement member 13 is connected between the pressing unit 10 and the substrate 11. The displacement member 13 includes an interlocking mechanism 131 and an elastic member 132. Please also refer to FIG. 3 , the linkage mechanism 131 is connected to at least one positioning portion 111 of the substrate 11 and the pressing unit 10 . The elastic member 132 is disposed in the linkage mechanism 131 to cause the pressing unit 10 to generate a displacement stroke relative to the substrate 11.

The light shielding unit 20, the at least one light emitting unit 21, and the circuit board 22 are defined as a light guiding mechanism. The circuit board 22 is disposed on the substrate 11 and is triggered by the plurality of pressing units 10 to generate a button command signal. The circuit board 22 is preferably, but not limited to, a three-layer design, and includes an upper film 221, a lower film 222, and a spacer film 223 disposed between the upper film 221 and the lower film 222. The upper film 221 includes an upper layer of a button line, and the lower layer of film 222 includes a lower layer of button lines. The spacer film 223 includes a plurality of through holes 225 for the upper layer of the button line to be electrically connected to the lower layer of the button line (shown in Figures 3 and 5). 7). The light shielding unit 20 is disposed on the circuit board 22 and includes a light transmitting area 201 and a non-light transmitting area 202. Please refer to FIG. 3, the light transmitting area 201 is provided for the elastic element 132. The perforation of the circuit board 22 is triggered in the displacement stroke of the substrate 11.

Please refer to FIG. 1 , the light unit 21 is disposed between the circuit board 22 and the light shielding unit 20 . A plurality of pressing units 10 in each row are defined as a pressing unit set 100, and the light emitting unit 21 is disposed between any two adjacent or any three adjacent pressing unit sets 100. Preferably, the light-emitting unit 21 is composed of an elongated light-guiding strip 211 and a plurality of light-emitting elements 212 embedded in the light-guiding strip 211. The number of the light-emitting units 21 and the light-emitting elements 212 can be increased or decreased according to different brightness requirements. The light-emitting element 212 is preferably a light-emitting diode.

Please refer to FIG. 3, which is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the first embodiment of the present invention. The light-transmitting region 201 of the light-shielding unit 20 corresponds to a plurality of pressing units 10, and the non-transmissive region 202 corresponds to a lower position of the plurality of pressing units 10 corresponding to the adjacent regions of the plurality of pressing units 10. The circuit board 22 includes a non-transmissive surface 224. Preferably, the linking mechanism 131 and the elastic member 132 are made of a light transmissive material.

The non-transmissive region 202 and the non-transmissive surface 224 can block the light from penetrating. The non-transparent region 202 and the non-transmissive surface 224 define a light between the substrate 11 and the plurality of pressing units 10 for collecting light. The light channel 23 can improve the light in the conventional keyboard to penetrate the film circuit board and cause some of the light to be lost in the keyboard. Further, in the present invention, light is transmitted through the optical channel 23, so that the light guiding portion can be omitted, and the assembly process and cost are reduced.

Please refer to FIG. 4, which is a schematic exploded view of a second embodiment of the present invention. The difference between this embodiment and the foregoing embodiment is that the light-emitting unit 21 does not use the elongated light-guiding strip 211 disposed between the adjacent pressing unit sets 100. Instead, the light-emitting unit 21 is disposed on the bottom plate 12 and projects light into the optical channel 23 described in the preceding paragraph. As shown in FIG. 3, the light-emitting unit 21 is preferably a light-emitting diode. . Thus, the illuminated keyboard provided with the optical channel of the present invention uses only the light shielding unit 20 and the circuit board 22 to create a light channel 23 for collecting light, which greatly simplifies the light guiding mechanism and is light and thin.

Please refer to FIG. 5 to FIG. 7 , which are schematic diagrams (1) to (3) of light transmission according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The difference in these patterns lies in the position of the non-transmissive surface. As shown in FIG. 5, the non-transparent surface 224 is a reflective layer or an opaque layer on the underlying film 222. As shown in FIG. 6 , the non-transparent surface 224 is a reflective layer or an opaque layer on the spacer film 222 , or is shown in FIG. 7 , and the non-transparent surface 224 is located at the same. A reflective layer or an opaque layer on the upper film 221 . As can be seen from the figure, the non-transmissive surface 224 is located in the upper layer film 221 and has a minimum cross-sectional area of the optical channel 23. In the aspect in which the non-transmissive surface 224 is located in the spacer film 223 or the lower film 222, part of the light penetrates the upper film 221 or the upper layer and the spacer film 221, 223.

The non-transmissive surface 224 can be disposed on the underlying film 222 by any physical or chemical means such as coating, attachment, or the like. For example, the light reflecting layer may be a silver pigment applied to the lower film 222, and the light impermeable layer may be a white pigment applied to the lower film 222. In addition to the foregoing aspects, the upper layer, the lower layer, and the spacer film 221, 222, and 223 may be directly made of an opaque material or made of a reflective material. In this way, the process of providing the non-transmissive surface 224 to the lower film 222 can be omitted, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced. The opaque material and the reflective material have been widely found in the market, so it is not mentioned.

The light projected from the light-emitting unit 21 in the light channel 23 is continuously reflected in the light channel 23 between the non-transmissive region 202 and the non-transmissive surface 224, or horizontally traveled from the light-conducting path. Inside the light tunnel 23. Regardless of the direction of travel of the light within the light tunnel 23, the light eventually leads to the only exit of the light tunnel 23, that is, the light transmissive region 201 of the light blocking unit 20. When the light passes through the transparent region 201, part of the light will be directly transmitted to the pressing unit 10, and the other portion of the light will be absorbed by the transparent elastic member 132 and the linkage mechanism 131 and indirectly transmitted to the pressing unit 10. . Finally, the pressing unit 10 receives almost all the light projected by the light emitting unit 21. The pressing unit 10 of the illuminated keyboard has high brightness due to the corresponding light-transmitting area 201, and the portion of the non-pressing unit 10 in the illuminated keyboard corresponds to the non-transmissive area 202 without brightness, whereby the present invention has an optical path The illuminated keyboard has the characteristics of non-uniform illumination.

In summary, the present invention defines a light channel by using the non-transmissive area of the light shielding unit and the non-transmissive surface of the circuit board, so that the light projected by the light emitting unit to the light channel does not penetrate the circuit board and is lost. In the keyboard. Compared with the prior art, the present invention does not need to provide any light guiding portion, reduces the assembly process and cost, and has the characteristics of being light and thin. On the other hand, the present invention further utilizes the light transmitting region and the non-light transmitting region of the light shielding unit. The non-uniform illumination is achieved, so that the user can clearly recognize the symbol on the pressing unit. Therefore, the present invention is highly progressive and conforms to the requirements of the invention patent application, and the application is filed according to law, and the praying office can grant the patent as soon as possible.

The present invention has been described in detail above, but the foregoing is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. That is, the equivalent changes and modifications made by the scope of the present application should remain within the scope of the patent of the present invention.

10. . . Press unit

100. . . Press unit collection

11. . . Substrate

111. . . Positioning department

12. . . Bottom plate

13. . . Displacement member

131. . . Linkage mechanism

132. . . Elastic component

20. . . Shading unit

201. . . Light transmissive area

202. . . Non-transparent area

twenty one. . . Light unit

211. . . Light guide strip

212. . . Light-emitting element

twenty two. . . Circuit board

221. . . Upper film

222. . . Lower film

223. . . Spacer film

224. . . Non-transparent surface

225. . . Through hole

twenty three. . . Optical channel

Fig. 1 is a schematic exploded view of a first embodiment of the present invention (1).

Figure 2 is a schematic exploded view of the first embodiment of the present invention (2).

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the first embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 is a schematic exploded view of the second embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a schematic view (1) of light transmission according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 6 is a schematic view of light transmission (2) of the first embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 7 is a schematic view (3) of light transmission in the first embodiment of the present invention.

10. . . Press unit

11. . . Substrate

111. . . Positioning department

13. . . Displacement member

131. . . Linkage mechanism

132. . . Elastic component

20. . . Shading unit

201. . . Light transmissive area

202. . . Non-transparent area

twenty one. . . Light unit

211. . . Light guide strip

212. . . Light-emitting element

twenty two. . . Circuit board

221. . . Upper film

222. . . Lower film

223. . . Spacer film

224. . . Non-transparent surface

225. . . Through hole

twenty three. . . Optical channel

Claims (26)

An illuminated keyboard having an optical channel, comprising:
a button portion comprising a plurality of pressing units and a substrate carrying the plurality of pressing units, wherein a displacement member is coupled between the plurality of pressing units and the substrate to cause the plurality of pressing units to generate a displacement stroke relative to the substrate;
a circuit board disposed on the substrate by the plurality of pressing units to be displaced by the substrate to generate a button command signal, a light shielding unit disposed on the circuit board and having a light transmitting region and a non-light transmitting region, and at least one a light-emitting unit disposed between the circuit board and the light-shielding unit, wherein a non-transparent surface of the circuit board and a non-transmissive area of the light-shielding unit define a light passage between the substrate and the plurality of pressing units, The at least one light emitting unit emits light in the light passage and projects light from the light transmitting area of the light shielding unit to the plurality of pressing units. The illuminating keyboard with an optical channel according to claim 1, wherein the circuit board comprises an upper film, a lower film, and a spacer film disposed between the upper film and the lower film. The illuminating keyboard with an optical channel according to claim 2, wherein the non-transparent surface is a reflective layer on the underlying film. The illuminating keyboard with an optical channel according to claim 2, wherein the non-transparent surface is an opaque layer on the underlying film. The illuminating keyboard with an optical channel as described in claim 2, wherein the non-transparent surface is a reflective layer on the spacer film. The illuminating keyboard with an optical channel according to claim 2, wherein the non-transparent surface is an opaque layer on the spacer film. The illuminating keyboard with an optical channel according to claim 2, wherein the non-transparent surface is a reflective layer on the upper film. The illuminating keyboard with an optical channel according to claim 2, wherein the non-transparent surface is an opaque layer on the upper film. The illuminated keyboard with an optical channel according to the second aspect of the invention, wherein the lower film is made of an opaque material. The illuminated keyboard with an optical channel according to the second aspect of the invention, wherein the lower film is made of a reflective material. The illuminating keyboard with an optical channel according to claim 2, wherein the spacer film is made of an opaque material. The illuminating keyboard with an optical channel according to claim 2, wherein the spacer film is made of a reflective material. The illuminated keyboard with an optical channel according to claim 2, wherein the upper film is made of an opaque material. The illuminated keyboard with an optical channel according to the second aspect of the invention, wherein the upper film is made of a reflective material. The illuminating keyboard with an optical channel according to claim 2, wherein the upper film comprises an upper layer of button lines, and the lower layer film comprises a lower layer of button lines, the spacer film comprising a plurality of upper layer button lines and the The perforation of the lower button line is turned on. The illuminating keyboard with an optical channel according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of pressing units of each row is defined as a set of pressing units, and the at least one illuminating unit is disposed in the optical channel for any two adjacent pressing Between unit collections. The illuminating keyboard with an optical channel according to claim 16, wherein the at least one illuminating unit comprises a light guiding strip and a plurality of illuminating elements embedded in the light guiding strip. The illuminating keyboard with an optical channel according to claim 17, wherein each of the plurality of illuminating elements is a illuminating diode. The illuminating keyboard with an optical channel according to claim 1, wherein the displacing member comprises an interlocking mechanism connecting the substrate and each of the plurality of pressing units, and an elastic member disposed in the linking mechanism. The light-emitting keyboard with an optical channel according to claim 19, wherein the light-transmitting region of the light-shielding unit is a through-hole for the elastic member to trigger the circuit board in a displacement stroke relative to the substrate. The illuminated keyboard with an optical channel according to claim 19, wherein the linkage mechanism is made of a light transmissive material. An illuminated keyboard with an optical channel according to claim 19, wherein the elastic member is made of a light transmissive material. The illuminated keyboard with an optical channel according to claim 19, wherein the substrate comprises at least one positioning portion for fixing the linkage mechanism. The illuminating keyboard with an optical channel according to the first aspect of the invention, wherein the light-transmitting area corresponds to a plurality of pressing units, and the non-transmissive area corresponding to the adjacent area of the plurality of pressing units is not below the plurality of pressing units . The illuminating keyboard with an optical channel according to claim 1, wherein each of the at least one illuminating unit is a illuminating diode. The illuminated keyboard with an optical channel according to the first aspect of the invention, wherein the illuminated keyboard further comprises a bottom plate disposed under the substrate.