TW201630018A - Illuminating keyboard - Google Patents

Abstract

An illuminating keyboard comprises a base, a keycap, a transparent elastic element and a back light module. The base comprises at least one through hole. The keycap is disposed on the base. The transparent elastic element comprises a transparent elastic body disposed between the keycap and the base, and a light guide unit adaptably corresponding to the shape of the at least one trough hole. The light guide unit passes through the base and extends toward the underneath of the base. The back light module is disposed below the base, and the back light module comprises a light emitting unit and a light guide plate guiding lights from the light emitting unit to the light guide unit. The bottom surface of the light guide unit is a light entrance face, and the light entrance face of the light guide unit contacts or is embedded in a light exit face of the light guide plate.

Description

Illuminated keyboard

The present invention relates to a keyboard, and more particularly to an illuminated keyboard having a backlight module.

With the popularization of electronic devices, various input devices are also widely used. In electronic products such as desktop computers, notebook computers, or communication mobile phones, input devices such as keyboards, mice, or touch panels have become the most common medium for communication between users and electronic products.

Taking the keyboard as an example, in order to respond to the use environment such as in a dark room or dim light, an illuminated keyboard is available, so that the user can clearly recognize the words on the keyboard keys in a low-light environment. The conventional illuminated keyboard includes a plurality of button structures, and each button structure includes a key cap, a support structure, a rubber dome, a bottom plate, and a backlight module. The bottom plate has a plurality of holes so that the light emitted by the backlight module can penetrate upward through the holes in the bottom plate and illuminate the key cap, so that the words on the key cap have brightness to be recognized. However, since the broken holes on the bottom plate are positively correlated with the illuminating effect, in order to enhance the illuminating effect, it is often necessary to increase the number of broken holes on the bottom plate to increase the amount of light transmission. This not only causes the structural strength of the bottom plate to decrease, but also causes the light to directly pass through the broken hole, resulting in partial light. The line overflows from the side of the button and has uneven brightness, which affects the lighting effect of the keyboard.

The invention relates to an illuminated keyboard, which can directly or directly be embedded in a light-emitting surface of a light guide plate by passing a light guiding unit of a light-transmissive elastic member and extending toward a lower side of the bottom plate, thereby directly transmitting light to the key. The light-transmissive elastic body under the cap is used to obtain a relatively uniform brightness and a light-emitting keyboard with better illumination effect.

According to an aspect of the invention, an illuminated keyboard is provided. The illuminated keyboard comprises a bottom plate, a keycap, a transparent elastic member and a backlight module. The bottom plate includes at least one perforation. The key cap is disposed above the bottom plate. The light-transmissive elastic member includes a light-transmissive elastic body and a light-guiding unit. The light-transmissive elastic body is disposed between the keycap and the bottom plate. The light-guiding unit is adapted to correspond to the shape of the at least one through-hole and faces the bottom of the bottom plate. extend. The backlight module is disposed under the bottom plate, and the backlight module includes a light emitting unit and a light guide plate, and the light guide plate guides light from the light emitting unit to the light guiding unit. The bottom surface of the light guiding unit is a light incident surface, and the light incident surface of the light guiding unit is in contact with or embedded in a light emitting surface of the light guiding plate.

In order to better understand the above and other aspects of the present invention, the preferred embodiments are described below, and in conjunction with the drawings, the detailed description is as follows:

100‧‧‧ illuminated keyboard

120‧‧‧Lighted button structure

122‧‧‧Key Cap

124‧‧‧Support structure

126‧‧‧Transmissive elastic body

128‧‧‧Lighting unit

128a‧‧‧ bottom surface

1281‧‧‧Extension

1282‧‧‧Block structure

130‧‧‧Translucent elastic parts

134‧‧‧floor

135‧‧‧Limited structure

136‧‧‧Perforation

138‧‧‧Backlight module

1381‧‧‧Light guide plate

1381a‧‧‧Glossy

1381b‧‧‧Reflection Department

1382‧‧‧Lighting unit

1383‧‧‧reflector

L, L1, L2‧‧‧ rays

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a keyboard according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the structure of a single illuminated button in FIG. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side view showing the structure of the light-emitting button of Fig. 2.

4 and 5 are schematic views of a light transmissive elastic member and a bottom plate according to an embodiment of the invention.

Please refer to FIG. 1 , FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 , FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an illuminated keyboard 100 according to an embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a single illuminated button structure 120 in FIG. 1 , FIG. A side view of the illuminated button structure 120 of Figure 2.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the illuminating button structure 120 of the present embodiment includes a key cap 122 , a supporting structure 124 , a transparent elastic member 130 , a bottom plate 134 , and a backlight module 138 . The backlight module 138 is disposed under the bottom plate 134 and includes a light guide plate 1381 and at least one light emitting unit 1382. The backlight module 138 can provide a light source required for the light emitting key structure 120, so that the light emitting key structure 120 of the light emitting keyboard 100 is It can still be used in dimly lit environments. The key cap 122 is disposed above the bottom plate 134. The bottom plate 134 includes at least one through hole 136. A portion of the light emitted by the backlight module 138 can be penetrated upward through the through hole 136 to illuminate the lettering on the key cap 122 (for example, Ctrl). The light-transmitting elastic member 130 includes a light-transmissive elastic body 126 and a light-guiding unit 128. The light-transmitting elastic body 126 is disposed between the keycap 122 and the bottom plate 134. In the embodiment of the present invention, the light guiding unit 128 can be adapted. The shape of the perforations 136 corresponding to the bottom plate 134 passes through the bottom plate 134 and extends downwardly of the bottom plate 134.

Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 , the light-transmitting elastic member 130 of the present embodiment is an elastic material structure having light transmissivity and a refractive index greater than 1, for example, rubber, Polymer materials such as silicone. The transparent elastic body 126 and the light guiding unit 128 may be an integrally formed structure, for example, an integrally formed rubber or silicone. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the light guiding unit 128 is disposed through the bottom plate 134 and extends downwardly of the bottom plate 134, and the bottom surface of the light guiding unit 128 is in contact with a light emitting surface 1381a of the light guide plate 1381. In another embodiment, the light guiding unit 128 can also be embedded in the light emitting surface 1381a of the light guide plate 1381 so that the bottom surface of the light guiding unit 128 is located inside the light guiding plate 1381. In this way, the light emitted from the backlight module 138 can be irradiated to the outside of the key cap 122 (for example, the light L1 in FIG. 3) through the through hole 136, and can also be guided by the light guiding unit 128. Conducted to the transparent elastic body 126, and then emitted through the outer circumferential surface of the transparent elastic body 126 (for example, the light L2 in FIG. 3), so that the light is diverged outward from the center of the key cap 122 to improve the uniformity of the button illumination. degree.

Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 , the light-emitting unit 1382 of the present embodiment is a side-mounted light-emitting diode disposed on the side of the light guide plate 1381 and emitting light L into the light guide plate 1381. However, the present invention Not limited to this. The light guide plate 1381 guides the light from the light emitting unit 1382 to the light guiding unit 128 of the transparent elastic member 130. The light guide plate 1381 can have various ways to guide the light emitted by the light emitting unit 1382. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the light guide plate 1381 further includes a reflecting portion 1381b, which can be formed on the light guide plate 1381. The face 1381a is on the opposite bottom and is formed below the position corresponding to the light guiding unit 128 passing through the bottom plate 134. The reflecting portion 1381b may form a reflective pattern on the bottom of the light guide plate 1381 via a printing or micro-lens to change the light L row in the light guide plate 1381. The direction of the passage. The larger the area of the reflecting portion 1381b farther from the light emitting unit 1382, the higher the extraction rate of light. In addition, the backlight module 138 may further include a reflective sheet 1383 formed under the light guide plate 1381. After the light L emitted from the light-emitting unit 1382 is incident through the side of the light guide plate 1381, total reflection occurs in the light guide plate 1381, and the light L is reflected by the reflection portion 1381b at the bottom of the light guide plate 1381 to the light-emitting surface 1381a of the light guide plate 1381. In this way, the light reflected to the light-emitting surface 1381a can be transmitted to the transparent elastic body 126 via the light guiding unit 128 that is in contact with or embedded in the light-emitting surface 1381a, and then emitted through the outer circumferential surface of the transparent elastic body 126 (for example, The light L2 in the figure 3 causes the light to diverge outward from the center of the key cap 122 to improve the uniformity of the button illumination.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the support structure 124 is disposed between the keycap 122 and the bottom plate 134, and the key cap 122 is moved up and down relative to the bottom plate 134 by the support structure 124. In the embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3, the support structure 124 is a scissor-foot structure, wherein one end of the scissor-foot structure is connected to the limiting structure 135 of the bottom plate 134, and the other end is movably coupled to the bottom side of the keycap 122. In other embodiments, the support structure 124 can also be configured to move the keycap 122 up and down relative to the bottom plate 134. Since the transparent elastic member 130 of the embodiment is of an elastic material structure, when the user touches the key cap 122 to move the key cap 122 downward, the transparent elastic body 126 provides an elastic force to the key cap 122, and the user does not After the keycap 122 is pressed again, the elastic force can bring the keycap 122 back to the original position.

In addition, the illuminating button structure 120 of the embodiment further includes a membrane circuit board, in order to maintain the simplicity of the drawing, FIG. 2 and Figure 3 does not show a thin film circuit board. The thin film circuit board is disposed between the keycap 122 and the bottom plate 134 to sense whether the user touches the key cap 122 to provide a corresponding key signal to enable the electronic device to perform a corresponding function, for example, inputting text in the electronic device, Symbols, numbers, etc. When the user touches the keycap 122 to move the keycap 122 downward, the transparent elastic body 126 is pressed against the thin film circuit board, and the thin film circuit board generates a button signal to enable the electronic device to perform the corresponding function. On the other hand, if the user no longer touches the keycap 122, the thin film circuit board stops generating the key signal.

Please refer to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 , which are schematic diagrams of the transparent elastic member 130 and the bottom plate 134 according to an embodiment of the invention. 4 is a schematic view showing the upper side of the transparent elastic member 130 and the bottom plate 134, and FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing the lower side of the transparent elastic member 130 and the bottom plate 134.

As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the light guiding unit 128 of the transparent elastic member 130 of the present embodiment may include an extending portion 1281 and a plurality of block structures 1282, and the block structure 1282 is protruded downward from the extending portion 1281. The extending portion 1281 is laterally connected between the block structure 1282 and the transparent elastic body 126, and the extending portion 1281 has light guiding property, and can guide the light incident into the block structure 1282 to the transparent elastic body 126, so that Light is directed below the center of the keycap 122 to increase the uniformity of the button illumination.

The bottom plate 134 of the present embodiment may include at least one through hole 136, and the position of the through hole 136 may surround the periphery of the light transmissive elastic body 126. Additionally, the position of the perforations 136 on the bottom plate 134 may vary depending on the typeface on the keycap. In addition, the number of the through holes 136 of the embodiment may depend on the overall illumination effect of the keyboard, for example, In the case where the illuminating effect is good, the number of the perforations 136 can be reduced, so that the structural strength of the bottom plate can be improved compared to the conventional illuminating keyboard.

The geometry of the light guiding unit 128 of the present invention may vary depending on the position of the perforations 136. In the embodiments of FIGS. 4 and 5, since the position of the perforations 136 surrounds the periphery of the translucent elastic body 126, The light guiding unit 128 can be laterally connected between the block structure 1282 and the transparent elastic body 126 by the extending portion 1281, so that the geometry of the light guiding unit 128 can correspond to the position of the through hole 136.

Moreover, the light guiding unit 128 of the present invention may also adaptively correspond to the shape of the through hole 136. Taking the embodiment of FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 as an example, the light guiding unit 128 passes through the plurality of block structures 1282 through the through holes 136 of the bottom plate 134 and extends below the bottom plate 134. The block structures 1282 can be matched with different ones. The shape of the perforations 136 is designed to have different geometries. As shown in FIG. 5, the oblique line region is the bottom surface 128a of the light guiding unit 128, which may be a light incident surface. The light emitted by the light emitting surface 1381a of the light guide plate 1381 is incident on the light guiding unit 128 via the light incident surface. . The bottom surface 128a of the light guiding unit 128 may select different geometries according to different light guiding area requirements, and may be, for example, a circle, a triangle, a quadrangle, or a combination thereof.

It should be noted that the light guiding unit 128 of the present invention can apply the original through hole 136 without additionally increasing the number of the through holes 136. Thus, the light can be directly transmitted to the light transmitting elasticity under the button 122 via the light guiding unit 128. The body 126 is used to improve the uniformity of the button illumination while taking into account the structural strength of the illuminated keyboard.

In addition, in the embodiment of the present invention, the number of the light guiding units 128 is not limited, as long as the light is uniformly illuminated, the light guiding unit 128 may be only one. One or two.

The illuminating keyboard disclosed in the above embodiment of the present invention is configured such that the light guiding unit of the light transmissive elastic member is adapted to pass through the bottom plate corresponding to the shape of the perforation of the bottom plate, and extends toward the lower side of the bottom plate, and the light incident surface of the light guiding unit Contacting or embedding in the light-emitting surface of the light guide plate to directly lead the light emitted by the backlight module to the light-transmissive elastic body under the key cap through the guiding of the light guiding unit, so the transparent elastic member of the above embodiment Compared with the traditional illuminated keyboard, it also has a relatively uniform brightness and a better luminous effect. In addition, since the light guiding unit of the above embodiment of the present invention can apply the original perforation without additionally increasing the number of perforations, the above embodiment can also take into consideration the structure of the bottom plate compared with the conventional illuminated keyboard. strength.

In conclusion, the present invention has been disclosed in the above preferred embodiments, and is not intended to limit the present invention. A person skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the scope of the invention is defined by the scope of the appended claims.

120‧‧‧Lighted button structure

122‧‧‧Key Cap

124‧‧‧Support structure

126‧‧‧Transmissive elastic body

128‧‧‧Lighting unit

134‧‧‧floor

135‧‧‧Limited structure

1381‧‧‧Light guide plate

1381a‧‧‧Glossy

1381b‧‧‧Reflection Department

1382‧‧‧Lighting unit

1383‧‧‧reflector

L, L1, L2‧‧‧ rays

Claims (8)

An illuminated keyboard includes: a bottom plate, the bottom plate includes at least one through hole; a key cap disposed above the bottom plate; a transparent elastic member comprising a light transmissive elastic body and a light guiding unit, the transparent elastic body is disposed Between the keycap and the bottom plate, the light guiding unit is adapted to extend through the bottom plate and extend downwardly of the bottom plate corresponding to the shape of the at least one through hole; and a backlight module is disposed under the bottom plate. The backlight module includes a light emitting unit and a light guide plate, and the light guide plate guides light from the light emitting unit to the light guiding unit. The bottom surface of the light guiding unit is a light incident surface, and the light guiding unit The light incident surface is in contact with or embedded in a light emitting surface of the light guide plate. The illuminating keyboard of claim 1, wherein the light guiding plate comprises a reflecting portion formed at a bottom of the light guiding plate. The illuminating keyboard of claim 1, further comprising a supporting structure disposed between the keycap and the bottom plate, wherein the key cap moves up and down relative to the bottom plate by the supporting structure, wherein the key The light transmissive elastic body provides an elastic force to the keycap when the cap is pressed and moved downward. The illuminating keyboard of claim 3, further comprising a thin film circuit board disposed between the key cap and the bottom plate, wherein the light transmissive elasticity is when the key cap is pressed and moved downward The body is pressed against the thin film circuit board to make the thin film circuit The board generates a button signal. The illuminating keyboard of claim 1, wherein the shape of the bottom surface of the light guiding unit comprises a circle, a triangle, a quadrangle or a combination thereof. The illuminating keyboard of claim 1, wherein the light transmissive elastic body and the light guiding unit are integrally formed. The illuminated keyboard of claim 1, wherein the transparent elastic member is made of rubber. The illuminating keyboard of claim 1, wherein the light guiding unit comprises a plurality of block structures protruding downward from an extending portion, the extending portion being laterally connected to the block structures and the transparent elastic body And the extension has light guiding properties.