TW201721695A - Key structure - Google Patents

Abstract

A key structure is provided. The key structure includes a key cap, a base, a circuit board and an elastic body. The key cap includes a plurality of hooks disposed on a lower surface of the key cap. The base is disposed below the key cap. The base includes a plurality of hook guiding channels and a plurality of hook holders correspondingly connecting to the corresponding hook guiding channels. The hook guiding channels penetrate through the base, and are disposed correspondingly to the hooks. Each of the hooks is movably disposed in each of the hook guiding channels. Each of the hook holders has an engaging surface. The circuit board is disposed below the base. The circuit board includes a plurality of hook through holes disposed correspondingly to the hooks. The elastic body is disposed between the circuit board and the key cap. The elastic body provides a supporting force to the key cap. When not been pressed, the key cap is maintained at a higher position by the supporting force, while each of the hooks abuts the engaging surface. When the key cap is pressed to overcome the supporting force and move downwards from the higher position, each of the hooks separates from the engaging surface and moves into the corresponding hook through hole.

Description

Button structure

The present invention relates to a key structure, and more particularly to a thinned key structure.

With the spread of electronic devices, various input devices have been widely used as media for communication between users and electronic devices, and thinning of electronic devices has become one of the trends in the industry. In response to this trend, the thinning of input devices is also one of the directions that researchers are pursuing.

Taking the input device of the pressing operation as an example, it is desirable that each button structure can be as thin as possible in the thickness direction. However, since the button structure is relatively thin, the stroke in which the button is depressed is relatively short. This will reduce the feel of the pressing operation, and the user will not be able to clearly feel whether the button has been pressed when performing the pressing operation.

The invention relates to a button structure. When the thickness of the button structure is reduced, more keycap stroke space can be provided to improve the hand feeling during the pressing operation.

According to an aspect of the invention, a button structure is proposed. Button knot The structure comprises a keycap, a bottom plate, a circuit board and an elastic body. The key cap has a lower surface of the keycap and a plurality of hooks, and the hooks are disposed on the lower surface of the keycap. The bottom plate is disposed under the keycap and has a plurality of hook guiding channels and a plurality of hook seats. The hook guide channel penetrates the bottom plate and corresponds to the hook configuration. Each hook hook is connected to each hook guide channel. Each of the hooks is movably disposed in each of the hook guiding passages. Each hook has a snap surface. The circuit board is disposed under the bottom plate and has a plurality of hooking through holes, and the hooking through holes correspond to the hook configuration. The elastomer is disposed between the circuit board and the keycap and provides a supporting force to the keycap. When the keycap is not pressed, the supporting force keeps the keycap in a higher position, and each hook abuts on the engaging surface of the corresponding hook seat. When the keycap is pressed and moves downward from the upper position against the supporting force, the engaging surfaces of the hooks and the corresponding hook seats are separated and enter the corresponding hook through holes.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a button structure is proposed. The button structure includes a keycap, a bottom plate, a circuit board, and an elastic body. The keycap has a keycap upper surface, a keycap lower surface, a bump and a plurality of hooks. The upper surface of the keycap is opposite the lower surface of the keycap. These hooks and bumps protrude downward from the lower surface of the keycap. The distance between the upper surface of the keycap and the lower surface of the keycap is a keycap thickness. The bottom plate has a bottom surface of the bottom plate, a lower surface of the bottom plate, a plurality of hook guiding channels, a plurality of hooking seats and a receiving opening. Each hook hook is connected to each hook guiding channel. The upper surface of the bottom plate is opposite to the lower surface of the bottom plate, and the distance between the upper surface of the bottom plate and the lower surface of the bottom plate is a thickness of the bottom plate. Each hook seat has an engaging surface. The circuit board is coupled to the lower surface of the bottom plate and has a plurality of hook through holes and a plurality of electrodes. An elastomer, the elastomer being received in the receiving opening and covering the electrodes. When the key cap is not pressed, the bump passes through The opening is received to abut the elastic body, and the elastic body applies force to keep the keycap in a higher position, and the hooks abut against the engaging surfaces of the hooks. When the keycap is pressed, the keycap moves downward from a higher position to a lower position, so that each hook moves downward to be separated from the engaging surface of each hook seat, and each hook enters each hook through In the hole, the lower surface of the key cap is in contact with the upper surface of the bottom plate, and the height of the button structure on the circuit board is the sum of the thickness of the bottom plate and the thickness of the key cap.

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, 200, 300‧‧‧ button structure

110, 210, 310‧‧‧ key caps

110LS‧‧‧ key cap lower surface

110US‧‧‧ key cap upper surface

112, 212, 312‧‧‧ hooks

112S1‧‧‧ card hook face

112S2‧‧‧ hook hook guide surface

112S3‧‧‧ hook side

1121‧‧‧ hook hook

114, 214‧‧ ‧ guide column

1141‧‧‧ center cylinder

1142‧‧‧ Striped column protrusions

115‧‧‧ skirt structure

115IS‧‧‧ inside surface of skirt structure

115LS‧‧‧ Under the surface of the skirt structure

116‧‧‧Bumps

120, 220, 320‧‧‧ bottom plate

120LS‧‧‧ bottom surface of the bottom plate

120US‧‧‧ upper surface of the bottom plate

120G‧‧‧floor clearance

121, 321‧‧‧ card hook

121S1‧‧‧ engaging surface

122, 222‧‧‧ hook guide channel

122S2‧‧‧ guiding surface

123, 223‧‧‧ First Defence Agency

124, 224‧‧ ‧ guide hole

126‧‧‧ accommodating openings

128‧‧‧Bump

130, 230, 330‧‧‧ circuit boards

130US‧‧‧ board surface

132, 232, 332‧‧‧ card hook through hole

133, 233‧‧‧ Second Defence Agency

134, 234‧‧ ‧ guide column through hole

135‧‧‧electrode

136‧‧‧ Elastomers

138‧‧‧Budded through hole

A1, A2, A3‧‧‧ areas

H1‧‧‧ keycap thickness

H2‧‧‧ floor thickness

R1‧‧‧ installation area

R2‧‧‧Non-installation area

FIG. 1A is a bottom perspective exploded view of a single button structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1B is a top perspective exploded view of the single button structure of FIG. 1A.

Fig. 1C is an enlarged view showing a region A1 of the key structure of Fig. 1A.

Fig. 1D is an enlarged view showing a region A2 of the key structure of Fig. 1A.

Fig. 1E is an enlarged view showing a region A3 of the key structure of Fig. 1A.

FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view showing the assembled button structure of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2B is a schematic view showing a pressed structure of the button structure of FIG. 2A and a partial enlarged view thereof.

FIG. 2C is a schematic diagram showing the pressing of the button structures of two adjacent FIG. 2A.

3A is a bottom view of a guide post according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3B is a bottom view of a guide post according to another embodiment of the present invention.

3C is a bottom view of a guide post according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a bottom view of a single button structure in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 5 is a bottom view of a single button structure in accordance with still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6A is a partial cross-sectional view showing the state in which the button structure of FIG. 5 has not been pressed after assembly.

FIG. 6B is a partial cross-sectional view showing the state in which the button structure of FIG. 6A is pressed to the lowest position by an external force.

The present invention proposes a key structure, however, the present invention is not limited to the proposed embodiment. The descriptions of the embodiments, such as the detailed structure, the size and position of the related elements, the corresponding spatial relationship, and the like, are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Therefore, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the details of the embodiments of the present invention. The structure of the embodiments may be varied and modified to meet the needs of the actual application without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, but may be embodied in various different forms, and other embodiments not suggested by the present invention may also be applied. Furthermore, the size ratios in the drawings are not drawn to the scale of the actual products, and therefore the description and drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. In addition, in the specification, like reference numerals are used to refer to the

FIG. 1A is a bottom perspective exploded view of a single button structure 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1B is a top perspective exploded view of the single button structure 100 of FIG. 1A.

Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B , the button structure 100 can include a key cap 110 , a bottom plate 120 , a circuit board 130 , and an elastic body 136 . The bottom plate 120 can be disposed under the keycap 110, and the circuit board 130 can be disposed under the bottom plate. The elastic body 136 can be disposed between the circuit board 130 and the keycap 110.

Referring to FIG. 1A, the key cap 110 can include a plurality of hooks 112 disposed on the lower surface 110LS of the keycap. Although the two hooks 112 are shown in FIG. 1A, in other embodiments, the number of the hooks 112 may be two or more. The bottom plate 120 can have a plurality of hook guiding channels 122 and a plurality of hook seats 121. The hook guiding passages 122 are disposed through the bottom plate 120 and corresponding to the number and position of the hooks 112 on the key cap 110, and each of the hooks 112 is movably disposed in the corresponding hook guiding passage 122. Moreover, each of the hooks 121 is connected to each of the corresponding hook guiding passages 122. The circuit board 130 can have a plurality of hooking through holes 132, and the hooking through holes 132 are also disposed corresponding to the positions of the hooks 112 on the keycap 110.

FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view showing the assembled button structure 100 of FIG. 1A.

Please refer to Figure 2A and refer to Figures 1A and 1B. If the keycap 110 is not depressed, the elastomer 136 can provide a support force to the keycap 110 to maintain the keycap 110 in a higher position. For example, in an embodiment, the outer shape of the key cap 110 is slightly larger than the outer contour of the bottom plate 120, but the outer contour of the key cap 110 and the outer contour of the bottom plate 120 are substantially similar in shape, and the center of the bottom plate 120 is substantially opposite. The center of the keycap 110. An accommodating opening 126 may be further included in the center of the bottom plate 120, and the elastic body 136 may be received in the accommodating opening 126. And the elastomer 136 is substantially aligned with the center of the keycap 110 such that the keycap 110 abuts the center point of the elastomer 136. In an embodiment, a bump 116 may be further included at the center of the keycap 110. The bump 116 is disposed on the lower surface 110LS of the keycap and is opposite to the center point of the elastic body 136 for abutting elasticity. The center point of body 136.

Referring to FIG. 1C, FIG. 1C is an enlarged view of a region A1 of the button structure 100 of FIG. 1A. Each of the hook holders 121 can have an engaging surface 121S1. Moreover, each of the hooks 121 can be formed on one side of the corresponding hook guiding passage 122 near the keycap 110, which helps to keep the keycap 110 in a higher position when the keycap 110 is not pressed. When the keycap 110 is not pressed, each of the hooks 112 abuts against the engaging surface 121S1 of the corresponding hook seat 121, so that the keycap 110 does not fall off the bottom plate 120 when it is in a higher position.

Moreover, in an embodiment, the bottom plate 120 and the circuit board 130 can be fixed in combination without relative displacement. For example, in FIG. 1A, the bottom plate 120 may further include a plurality of studs 128. The circuit board 130 may further include a plurality of stud passage holes 138 corresponding to the studs 128 on the bottom plate 120. The number and location configuration. The protrusions 128 can pass through the corresponding post through holes 138, so that the bottom plate 120 and the circuit board 130 can be fixed to each other by the protrusions 128 and the post through holes 138, so that the circuit board 130 is bonded to the lower surface of the bottom plate. 120LS (as shown in Figure 2A). Alternatively, in another embodiment, the studs 128 can be joined to the corresponding stud vias 138 by means of heat fusion.

FIG. 2B is a schematic view showing a pressed structure of the button structure 100 of FIG. 2A and a partial enlarged view thereof.

Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the circuit board 130 may further include a plurality of electrodes 135. The elastic body 136 covers the electrodes 135 and may have a conductor. As shown in FIG. 2A, when the keycap 110 is not pressed, the conductor of the elastic body 136 remains separated from the electrode 135, so that there is no electrical conduction between each of the electrodes 135. When the keycap 110 is pressed, as shown in FIG. 2B, when the keycap 110 is pressed, the keycap 110 can be pressed against the elastic body 136 by the bump 116, for example, to deform the elastic body 136. And store an elastic force. When the elastic body 136 is deformed to contact the electrode 135, the conductor of the elastic body 136 can be electrically connected to the electrode 135. At this time, the circuit board 130 can generate a button signal to enable the electronic device to perform the corresponding function. On the other hand, if the keycap 110 is no longer pressed, the keycap 110 can be restored to the higher position as shown in FIG. 2A by the elastic force stored by the elastic body 136, so that the circuit board 130 no longer generates the button signal. Further, by the elastic force of the elastic body 135, the sense of paragraph generated when the keycap 110 is pressed can be improved.

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1C, each of the hook guiding passages 122 may have two guiding faces 122S2. In addition, FIG. 1D is an enlarged view of a region A2 of the key structure 100 of FIG. 1A. As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1D, each of the hooks 112 can have a second hook guiding surface 112S2 disposed opposite to each other. When the key cap 110 is pressed, the second hook guiding surface 112S2 of each hook 112 still abuts against the two guiding surfaces 122S2 of the corresponding hook guiding passage 122 to guide the keycap 110 to be higher. Relative motion between position and lower position.

In addition, since the bottom plate 120 and the circuit board 130 are fixedly coupled to each other, the hook guiding channel 122 on the bottom plate 120 and the hook on the circuit board 130 are penetrated. The holes 132 are also correspondingly arranged. When the keycap 110 is pressed and moves downward from the upper position against the supporting force provided by the elastic body 136, the hook 112 on the key cap 110 is separated from the engaging surface 121S1 of the corresponding hook seat 121, and enters. Corresponding hooks pass through the holes 132. By the arrangement of the hook through holes 132, the button structure 100 can be provided with more keycap stroke space under the trend of thinning, so as to ensure the feeling of pressing.

Moreover, since the bottom plate 120 and the circuit board 130 are respectively provided with the hook guiding passages 122 and the hooking through holes 132 corresponding to the hooks 112, when the keycap 110 is pressed, the hook guiding passages 122 and the hooks are The through hole 132 is provided for the hook 112 to pass through. At this time, as shown in FIG. 2B, the key cap 110 is pressed and the electrode 135 is triggered. When the length of the bump 116 is large, there is a small gap between the key cap lower surface 110LS and the upper surface 120US of the bottom plate, but the key cap The lower surface 110LS is very close to the upper surface 120US of the bottom plate; or, in another embodiment, the length of the bump 116 can also be designed to be shorter, such that the electrode 135 is triggered, and at the same time the lower surface 110LS of the keycap contacts the upper surface 120US of the bottom plate There is no gap between the lower surface 110LS of the keycap and the upper surface 120US of the bottom plate. Thus, when the keycap 110 is pressed to the lowest position, the height of the button structure 100 on the circuit board 130 is only the sum of the keycap thickness H1 and the bottom plate thickness H2. The keycap thickness H1 is the distance between the upper surface 110US of the keycap and the lower surface 110LS of the keycap, and the thickness H2 of the bottom plate is the distance between the upper surface 120US of the bottom plate and the lower surface 120LS of the bottom plate. Thereby, the overall thickness of the button structure 100 can be reduced, and in the case where the thickness of the button structure 100 is reduced, more keycap stroke space can be provided to ensure the feel of pressing. For example, the overall height of the controllable button structure 100 is, for example, less than 2 millimeters (mm), but can still provide greater than about 0.4 millimeters (mm). Keycap stroke. In other preferred embodiments, the keycap 110 has a substantially square keycap outer contour and the keycap lower surface 110LS is substantially flat; and the bottom panel 120 has a substantially square bottom outer contour, and the bottom surface 120US substantially Therefore, the keycap 110 can smoothly abut against the bottom plate 120, and the tilting is reduced, so that the keycap 110 can be smoothly pressed against the bottom plate 120 by the user's strong pressing. Possible.

In addition, in the embodiment of FIGS. 2A and 2B, the keycap 110 may further include a plurality of skirt structures 115, and the skirt structures 115 define a keycap inner space around the keycap lower surface 110LS. Under such a configuration, the bottom plate 120 is located only within the interior space of the keycap. That is, the size (height and width) of the bottom plate 120 is smaller than the size (height and width) of the inner space of the key cap. Thus, when the keycap 110 is pressed down to the lowest position, the inner space of the key cap can completely accommodate the bottom plate 120, so that the lower surface 115LS of the skirt structure directly contacts the circuit board 130, and the inner side surface 115IS of the skirt structure remains separated from the bottom plate 120. . In addition, the lower surface 110LS of the keycap can still be in contact with the upper surface 120US of the bottom plate, such that the height of the key structure 100 on the circuit board 130 is still only the sum of the thickness H1 of the keycap and the thickness H2 of the bottom plate. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2C, the entire input device (for example, a computer keyboard) has a plurality of button structures 100, but the bottom plates 120 of the adjacent two button structures 100 are not connected to each other, but a bottom plate gap 120G exists; When the keycap 110 is pressed down to the lowest position, the bottom plate gap 120G can accommodate the skirt structure 115 of the adjacent two keycaps 110. In this way, the overall thickness of the button structure 100 can be reduced, and at the same time, in the case where the thickness of the button structure 100 is reduced, more effects of the keycap stroke space can be provided.

Please refer to Figure 1A. The keycap 110 of the embodiment may further include a plurality of guide posts 114, and the bottom plate 120 may further include a plurality of guide post holes 124. The guide post holes 124 extend through the bottom plate 120 and are arranged corresponding to the number and position of the guide posts 114 such that each guide post 114 is movably disposed in the corresponding guide post hole 124. By the arrangement of the guide post 114 and the guide post hole 124, the alignment of the key cap 110 when moving up and down can be provided, and the deflection is not easy, and the effect of straightening straight down is generated, and the user's operation feeling is enhanced.

In addition, please refer to Figures 3A through 3C, which show bottom views of the guide posts 114 of various embodiments of the present invention. However, the shape of the guide post 114 of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

Each of the guide posts 114 of the present invention may be non-cylindrical in shape. Each of the guide posts 114 can have a central cylinder 1141 and a plurality of strip-shaped pillar projections 1142. The strip-shaped guide protrusions 1142 may extend axially along the central cylinder 1141 (ie, extend in a direction perpendicular to the page) and symmetrically disposed on the periphery of the central cylinder 1141. Thereby, when each guide post 114 moves relative to the corresponding guide post hole 124, the guide post hole 124 only contacts the strip guide post protrusion 1142, but cannot contact the center post 1141, thereby reducing the key cap 110 up and down. The friction during exercise enhances the feel of the user during operation.

In addition, please refer to Figure 1A. The circuit board 130 may further include a plurality of pillar through holes 134. The guide post through holes 134 are disposed corresponding to the number and position of the guide posts 114 for each guide post 114 to pass through the corresponding post through hole 134 when the key cap 110 is pressed. The button structure 100 can be made by the arrangement of the guide post through holes 134 In the trend of thinning, more keycap stroke space can still be provided to ensure the feel of pressing.

Please refer to a partial enlarged view of the button structure 100 of FIG. 2B. Each of the hooks 112 can have a hook surface 112S1 and an oppositely disposed two hook side 112S3. The hook surface 112S1 is opposite to the keycap lower surface 110LS and is coupled to one of the hook side surfaces 112S3. A plurality of hook projections 1121 are provided on the side surface 112S3 of the second hook.

Referring to FIG. 1E, an enlarged view of the area A3 of the button structure 100 of FIG. 1A is shown to more clearly show the hook protrusions 1121. The hook protrusions 1121 are disposed on the two hook side faces 112S3 in a spaced manner. Therefore, when the key cap 110 moves up and down, the hook protrusions 1121 can contact the corresponding hook guiding passages 122. Moreover, since the hook protrusions 1121 are arranged in a spaced relationship, the contact area between the hooks 112 and the hook guide passages 122 can be reduced, and the frictional force when the keycaps 110 move up and down can be reduced. At the same time, the hook protrusions 1121 can be used as an alignment for the up and down movement of the keycap 110, so that the keycap 110 is less likely to be deflected when moving up and down, and the effect of straight up and down is generated, and the user's operation feeling is enhanced.

In view of the above, the present invention can utilize the guide post 114 having a non-cylindrical shape and/or directly use the hook 112 as an alignment for the up and down movement of the keycap 110.

Please refer to FIG. 4, which illustrates a bottom view of a single button structure 200 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 4, the outer shape of the circuit board 230 is dotted with a dotted line. It is shown that the detailed shape of the keycap 210 and the bottom plate 220 are clearly distinguished.

In this embodiment, the hooks 212 can be disposed at the four corners of the keycap 210, and two guide posts 214 can be disposed on the lower surface of the keycaps near the opposite sides of the keycap 210, and the hooks 212 and The guide post 214 serves as an alignment for the keycap 110 to move up and down. In other embodiments, the hook 212 may be used instead of the guide post 214, and the hook 212 may be used directly for the alignment of the key cap 210 when moving up and down.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, the hook through hole 232 and the pillar through hole 234 on the circuit board 230 may be larger than the hook guiding channel 222 and the pillar hole 224 on the bottom plate 220. With such an arrangement, the button structure 200 can be reduced in the assembly or disassembly to reduce the influence of the pulling force, and the risk of damage to the hook 212 and the guide post 214 can be reduced.

In addition, in the embodiments of FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 4, the bottom plates 120 and 220 of the button structures 100 and 200 may further include a first foolproof mechanism 123 and 223, and the first foolproof mechanisms 123 and 223 are located on the bottom plate. lower surface. The circuit boards 130 and 230 may further include a second foolproof mechanism 133 and 233, and the second foolproof mechanisms 133 and 233 are located on the circuit board surface 130US (labeled in FIG. 2A). Due to the keycaps 110 and 210, the upper and lower sides of the bottom plates 120 and 220 are not symmetrical. For example, in FIG. 4, the lower side of the keycap 210 and the bottom plate 220 are circular, but the upper side is The sides are straight. Therefore, a foolproof design is required between the bottom plates 120 and 220 and the circuit boards 130 and 230 to ensure proper positioning, so that when the bottom plates 120 and 220 are installed, the arc-shaped side edges are erroneously mounted to the upper side, and the rear side is correctly installed. Key cap 110 and At 210 o'clock (the arc-shaped side is directly below), the two will interfere and cannot be installed smoothly. Thus, with the additional design of the assembly foolproof mechanism, only when the first foolproof mechanisms 123 and 223 are aligned in the second foolproof mechanisms 133 and 233, the bottom plates 120 and 220 and the circuit boards 130 and 230 can be closely overlapped. .

In addition, in other embodiments, the button structure can also be implemented in an illuminable input device, such as an illuminated keyboard. In this embodiment, the first foolproof mechanisms 123 and 223 can be a recessed portion, that is, the first foolproof mechanisms 123 and 223 do not penetrate the bottom plates 120 and 220. The second foolproof mechanism 133 and 233 can be a light emitting module, for example, a light emitting diode; thus, the light emitting diode has both the function of emitting light and assembling the foolproof. In this embodiment, the recessed portion can accommodate the light emitting module, and the bottom plate 120 and 220 can be a light transmissive light guiding structure, such as plastic. In this way, the user can still clearly recognize the words on the key cap by using the light source provided by the light emitting module in the environment with insufficient brightness.

Referring to FIG. 5, a bottom view of a single button structure 300 in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The difference between the present embodiment and the key structure 100 and 200 of the above embodiment is that the key structure 300 of the embodiment can be applied to a button structure of a large area "multiple key" in the keyboard (the area is larger than the standard of the above embodiment). The key structure 100 and 200 of the key "" multiple key" is, for example, a key structure having a large surface area such as a blank key, an enter key or a shift key on a keyboard.

In this embodiment, the keycap 310 of the button structure 300 may include a plurality of mounting areas R1 and a plurality of non-mounting areas R2, for example, three mounting areas R1 and two mounting areas R2 are disposed at a distance from each other. Installation area R1 can take a similar The related configuration of the keycap 110 or 210 of the above embodiment. Also, the bottom plate 320 is located only within each of the mounting areas R1. That is to say, the bottom plates 320 in the respective mounting areas R1 are not connected, but the respective mounting areas R1 can share the same circuit board 330. In other embodiments, the number and placement of the mounting area R1 and the non-mounting area R2 can be changed according to actual usage requirements. For example, for a button structure having a small surface area of the keycap, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which only two mounting areas R1 are provided without the non-mounting area R2.

Please refer to FIGS. 6A and 6B , a partial cross-sectional view of the button structure 300 of FIG. 6A and FIG. 5 after being assembled, and FIG. 6B is a partial cross-sectional view showing the button structure 300 of FIG. 6A pressed to the lowest position by an external force. .

As shown in Figs. 6A and 6B, in order to clearly show the details, only a part of the key structure 300 is shown in Figs. 6A and 6B. The button structure 300 of the embodiment is similar to the button structure 100 of the 2A and 2B drawings, and the operation manner of the hook 312, the hook seat 321 and the hook through hole 332 and the hook 112, the hook seat 121 and the hook are penetrated. The holes 132 are the same and have the same effects as the key structure 100 of FIGS. 2A and 2B, and will not be described again.

As described above, the button structure of the present invention is provided on the bottom plate and the circuit board to provide a hook guiding passage and a hook through hole corresponding to the hooks on the key cap. When the keycap is pressed and moved to a lower position, the hook can enter the hook through hole of the circuit board, thereby increasing the stroke of the keycap being depressed. In addition, the hook can also be used as the alignment and positioning of the key cap when moving up and down to ensure that the key cap has a straight up and down effect during the movement. And by setting a few hooks on the side of the hook The part reduces the contact area between the hook and the hook guiding passage when the keycap is in motion.

In other embodiments, a guide post may be disposed on the key cap, and a guide post hole and a guide post through hole provided corresponding to the guide post may be provided on the bottom plate and the circuit board to assist the key cap to be straight up during the movement. Straight down effect; and when the keycap is pressed and moved to a lower position, the guide post can enter the guide post through hole of the circuit board, thereby increasing the stroke of the key cap being pressed; in addition, the non-cylindrical shape can also be set The guide post is used to reduce the contact area between the guide post and the guide post hole.

The key structure proposed by the present invention can be applied to an input device, for example, to a keyboard, and particularly to a thinned keyboard. In practical application, the button structure can be arranged to form a keyboard according to requirements. If the keycap is a double key having a small area, the key structures 100, 200 and the like as described above may be employed. If the keycap is a multi-fold key having a large area, the key structure 300 as described above and its deformation can be employed. In addition, the bottom plates of the respective button structures are not connected to each other, but each button structure can share the same circuit board.

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.

100‧‧‧Key structure

110‧‧‧Key Cap

110LS‧‧‧ key cap lower surface

112‧‧‧ card hook

114‧‧‧ Guide column

116‧‧‧Bumps

120‧‧‧floor

121‧‧‧ card hook

122‧‧‧ hook guide channel

123‧‧‧First Defence Agency

124‧‧‧ Guide hole

126‧‧‧ accommodating openings

128‧‧‧Bump

130‧‧‧ boards

132‧‧‧Cut hook through hole

133‧‧‧ Second Defence Agency

134‧‧‧ Guide column through hole

136‧‧‧ Elastomers

138‧‧‧Budded through hole

A1, A2, A3‧‧‧ areas

Claims (20)

A key structure includes: a keycap having a lower surface of a keycap and a plurality of hooks, wherein the hooks are disposed on a lower surface of the keycap; and a bottom plate disposed under the keycap, the bottom plate having a plurality of hook guiding channels and a plurality of hooking blocks, the hook guiding channels penetrating the bottom plate, and corresponding to the hooking configurations, each of the hooking hooks is connected to each of the hook guiding channels, each The hook is movably disposed in each of the hook guiding passages, each of the hooks has an engaging surface; a circuit board is disposed under the bottom plate, the circuit board has a plurality of hooking through holes, The hooking through holes correspond to the hooking configurations; and an elastic body disposed between the circuit board and the keycap, the elastic body providing a supporting force to the keycap; wherein, when the keycap is not When pressed, the supporting force maintains the keycap in a higher position, each of the hooks abuts the corresponding engaging surface of the hook seat; and when the keycap is pressed and overcomes the supporting force When the lower position is moved downward, the engaging surface of each of the hooks and the corresponding hook seat From entering the hook corresponding to the through holes. The button structure of claim 1, wherein each of the hook seats is formed on a side of the corresponding hooking guide channel adjacent to the keycap. The key structure as described in claim 1, wherein the keycap is The contour and the outer contour of the bottom plate are substantially the same shape, the center of the bottom plate is substantially aligned with the center of the keycap, and the bottom plate further includes a receiving opening, and the elastic body is received in the receiving opening, so that the elastic body is received in the receiving opening The elastomer is substantially aligned with the center of the keycap for the keycap to abut. The button structure of claim 1, wherein the bottom plate further comprises a plurality of studs, the circuit board further comprising a plurality of stud passage holes corresponding to the plurality of stud configurations, each of the studs passing through Each of the studs is through holes to bond the bottom plate to the circuit board. The button structure of claim 4, wherein the plurality of pillars are combined with the pillar through holes by means of heat fusion. The button structure of claim 1, wherein each of the hooks has a hook surface and a opposite side of the hook surface, the hook surface is opposite to the lower surface of the key cap, and the second card One of the sides of the hook is connected, and a plurality of hook protrusions are disposed on the side of the hook, and the hook protrusions are in contact with the corresponding hook guiding passage. The button structure of claim 1, wherein the lower surface of the bottom plate has a first foolproof mechanism, and the surface of the circuit board has a second foolproof mechanism, when the first foolproof mechanism is abutting The second proofing mechanism, the bottom plate and the circuit The boards can be tightly stacked. The button structure of claim 7, wherein the first foolproof mechanism is a recessed portion, and the second foolproof mechanism is a light emitting module, and the recessed portion houses the light emitting module. The key structure of claim 1, wherein the key cap further comprises a plurality of guide posts, the bottom plate further comprising a plurality of guide post holes, the guide post holes extending through the bottom plate and corresponding to the guides The columns are configured such that each of the guide columns is movably disposed in the corresponding guide post hole. The button structure of claim 9, wherein the circuit board further comprises a plurality of pillar through holes, wherein the pillar through holes correspond to the pillars for each of the pillars When the cap is pressed, it passes through the corresponding guide post through hole. The button structure of claim 9, wherein each of the guide pillars has a central cylinder and a plurality of strip-shaped guide pillar protrusions, and the strip-shaped guide pillar protrusions are along the axial direction of the central cylinder. Extending, and symmetrically disposed on the periphery of the center cylinder, so that each of the guide pillars moves relative to each of the pillar holes, each of the pillar holes only contacts the strip-shaped pillar protrusions, but cannot be contacted Center cylinder. The key structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the circuit board Further comprising a plurality of electrodes, the elastomer further has a conductor, the conductor of the elastomer remains separated from the electrodes when the keycap is not pressed, and the keycap touches the keycap when the keycap is pressed The elastomer deforms the elastomer such that the conductor of the elastomer is electrically connected to the electrodes. The button structure of claim 1, wherein the lower surface of the keycap further comprises a bump that is aligned with a center point of the elastic body for abutting a center point of the elastic body. The button structure of claim 1, wherein the bottom plate further has an upper surface of the bottom plate, and when the key cap is pressed, the lower surface of the key cap contacts the upper surface of the bottom plate, and the button structure is The height on the board is the sum of the thickness of the bottom plate and the thickness of the keycap. The key structure of claim 1, wherein the key cap further comprises a plurality of skirt structures, the skirt structure defines a keycap inner space around the lower surface of the keycap, and the size of the bottom plate The inner space of the key cap accommodates the bottom plate when the key cap is pressed downward, so that the lower surface of the skirt structure can directly contact the circuit board, and the skirts The inside surface of the structure remains separate from the bottom plate. An input device comprising a plurality of ones as described in claim 15 The button structure, wherein a gap between the adjacent two of the bottom plates exists, and when the adjacent two of the key caps are pressed down to a lowest position, the bottom plate gap accommodates the skirt structures. A button structure includes: a keycap having a top surface of a keycap, a lower surface of a keycap, a bump, and a plurality of hooks, the upper surface of the keycap being opposite to the lower surface of the keycap, The hook and the protrusion protrude downward from the lower surface of the keycap, and the distance between the upper surface of the keycap and the lower surface of the keycap is a thickness of a keycap; a bottom plate having a bottom surface of the bottom plate, a lower surface of the bottom plate, a plurality of hook guiding channels, a plurality of hooking seats and a receiving opening, each of the hooking legs being connected to each of the hook guiding passages, wherein the upper surface of the bottom plate is opposite to the lower surface of the bottom plate The distance between the upper surface of the bottom plate and the lower surface of the bottom plate is a thickness of the bottom plate, and each of the hook legs has an engaging surface; a circuit board, the circuit board is coupled to the lower surface of the bottom plate, and the circuit board has a plurality of a hooking through hole and a plurality of electrodes; and an elastic body received in the receiving opening and covering the electrodes; wherein the bump is not pressed when the key cap is pressed Passing through the receiving opening to abut the elastic body, the elastic body exerting force The keycap is held at a higher position, and each of the hooks abuts on the engaging surface of each of the hook seats; and when the keycap is pressed, the keycap moves downward from the upper position To a lower Positioning, the hooks are moved downward to be separated from the engaging surfaces of the hooks, and each of the hooks enters each of the hooking through holes, and the lower surface of the keycap is in contact with the upper surface of the bottom plate. At this time, the height of the button structure on the circuit board is the sum of the thickness of the bottom plate and the thickness of the key cap. The key structure of claim 17, wherein the key cap has a substantially square outer shape of a keycap, the bottom plate having a substantially square outer contour of the bottom plate, such that when the lower surface of the keycap is When the upper surface of the bottom plate is in contact, the key cap can be firmly abutted on the bottom plate. The button structure of claim 17, wherein each of the hooks comprises a hook surface and a second hook guiding surface, the hook surface is opposite to the lower surface of the key cap, and the second The hook guiding surface is connected, and each of the hook guiding channels has two guiding surfaces. When the key cap is pressed, the two hook guiding surfaces of the hooks are still connected with the hook guiding passages of the hooks. The two guiding surfaces remain abutted to guide the relative movement of the keycap between the upper position and the lower position. The key structure of claim 17, wherein the key cap further comprises a plurality of skirt structures, the skirt structure defines a keycap inner space around the lower surface of the keycap, and the size of the bottom plate The inner space of the key cap accommodates the bottom plate when the key cap is pressed downward, so that the lower surface of the skirt structure can directly contact the circuit board, and the skirts The inside surface of the structure remains separate from the bottom plate.