TW202314759A - Keycap support mechanism and multi-size keyswitch structure - Google Patents

Abstract

A multi-size keyswitch structure includes a base plate, a multi-size keycap, and a keycap support mechanism that supports the multi-size keycap above the base plate in a vertical direction. The multi-size keycap and the keycap support mechanism extend lengthwise in a lengthwise direction. The keycap support mechanism includes an outer support and an inner support that are pivotally connected to each other. The outer support is configured to surround the inner support. The inner support includes a support body and a reinforcement part. The reinforcement part is embedded in the support body. The elastic modulus of the reinforcement part is greater than the elastic modulus of the support body. The inner support defines a side connection section on both sides of the inner support in the lengthwise direction. Each side connection section includes at least one base plate connecting portion and at least one keycap connecting portion. The reinforcement part extends into the two side connection sections.

Description

Key cap support mechanism and multiple key key structure

The present invention relates to a key structure, in particular to a multiple key key structure and a key cap support mechanism.

The main structure of the current mechanical key structure is to connect a lifting mechanism between the keycap and the bottom plate, so that the keycap can move up and down relative to the bottom plate. The actuation stability of the keycap, including the actuation stroke and smoothness, usually depends on the lifting mechanism. When the movement stability of the lifting mechanism itself is not good, it is also difficult for the keycap to move smoothly. For multiple keys (multi-size keys), such as blank keys, Enter, Shift, CapsLock, Ctrl keys, etc., generally a plurality of lifting mechanisms are used to jointly support the key caps. In this structure, each lifting mechanism operates independently. When the keycap is pressed, the keycap is not easy to move up and down horizontally, and it is easy to be skewed, resulting in poor triggering of the key switch. In this regard, a balance bar can be added, which is independent of the lifting mechanism and connected to the keycap and the bottom plate, so as to improve the levelness of the keycap when it moves up and down. However, the setting of the balance bar reduces the setting space of the lifting mechanism, so it may affect the structural rigidity and the stability of the lifting mechanism itself to a certain extent. In addition, the general lifting mechanism is made of plastic. When the button adopts a thinner design, the structure of each component will also be thinner, resulting in insufficient rigidity of the components themselves, and the aforementioned problems will be more serious.

In view of the problems in the prior art, an object of the present invention is to provide a keycap supporting mechanism, the inner frame of which has a reinforcing member, thereby increasing the structural rigidity of the keycap supporting mechanism and improving the operating stability.

A keycap support mechanism according to the present invention is used for supporting a multiplier keycap on a bottom plate in a vertical direction. The multiplier key cap extends longitudinally in a long side direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, and the keycap support mechanism as a whole extends longitudinally in the long side direction. The keycap support mechanism includes an outer bracket and an inner bracket. The outer bracket and the inner bracket are pivotally connected to each other around a rotation axis, and the rotation axis is parallel to the long side direction. The outer bracket is arranged around the inner bracket. The inner bracket includes a bracket body and a reinforcement, the reinforcement is embedded in the bracket body, and the elastic modulus of the reinforcement is greater than that of the bracket body. The inner bracket defines one side connecting section on both sides in the longitudinal direction, and each side connecting section includes at least one bottom plate connecting portion and at least one keycap connecting portion, and the reinforcing member extends to the two side connecting regions In the section, the structural rigidity of the inner bracket at the two-side connecting section can be effectively improved. Therefore, the structural rigidity of the keycap support mechanism is increased, and the actuation stability can also be improved, so that the multiplier keycap can move up and down smoothly relative to the bottom plate. The keycap support mechanism is also suitable for thin design.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a multiplier key structure, in which the inner frame of the keycap supporting mechanism has a reinforcing member, thereby increasing the structural rigidity of the keycap supporting mechanism and improving the operating stability.

A multiplier key key structure according to the present invention includes a bottom plate, a multiplier key cap and a key cap supporting mechanism. The multiplier key cap extends longitudinally in a long side direction, and the key cap supporting mechanism supports the multiplier key cap on the base plate in a vertical direction, and the vertical direction is perpendicular to the long side direction. The keycap support mechanism includes an outer bracket and an inner bracket. The outer bracket and the inner bracket are pivotally connected to each other around a rotation axis, and the rotation axis is parallel to the long side direction. The outer bracket is arranged around the inner bracket. The inner bracket includes a bracket body and a reinforcement, the reinforcement is embedded in the bracket body, and the elastic modulus of the reinforcement is greater than that of the bracket body. The inner bracket defines one side connecting section on both sides in the longitudinal direction, and each side connecting section includes at least one bottom plate connecting portion and at least one keycap connecting portion, and the reinforcing member extends to the two side connecting regions In the section, the structural rigidity of the inner bracket at the two-side connecting section can be effectively improved. Wherein, in each side connecting section, the at least one bottom plate connecting portion is connected to the bottom plate, and the at least one keycap connecting portion is connected to the multiplier key keycap. Therefore, the structural rigidity of the keycap support mechanism is increased, and the actuation stability can also be improved, so that the multiplier keycap can move up and down smoothly relative to the bottom plate. The multiplier key structure is also suitable for thin design.

The advantages and spirit of the present invention can be further understood through the following detailed description of the invention and the accompanying drawings.

Please refer to pictures 1 to 3. According to an embodiment, the multiplier key key structure 1 includes a bottom plate 10 , a multiplier key cap 12 , a key cap supporting mechanism 14 , a switch circuit board 16 and an elastic member 18 . The multiplier key cap 12 extends longitudinally in a longitudinal direction D1 (that is, a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction, indicated by a double-headed arrow in the figure), and the keycap supporting mechanism 14 as a whole also extends longitudinally in the longitudinal direction D1. The keycap supporting mechanism 14 is connected between the multiplier key cap 12 and the bottom plate 10 to support the multiplier key keycap 12 on the bottom plate 10 in a vertical direction D2 (indicated by a double-headed arrow in the figure). The long side direction D1, the short side direction D3 (that is, the direction parallel to the short side of the multiplier key cap 12, indicated by a double-headed arrow in the figure) and the vertical direction D2 are perpendicular to each other. The switch circuit board 16 is stacked on the base plate 10, and the switch circuit board 16 has a switch 16a (shown in the first figure with a hatched circle); the switch circuit board 16 can be made of but not limited to a thin film circuit board (in practice It is a three-layer structure, and a switch circuit is formed on the upper and lower layers, and an insulating layer is sandwiched between the upper and lower layers). The elastic member 18 is disposed on the switch circuit board 16 corresponding to the switch 16a and passes through the keycap support mechanism 14 (its opening 140a). The elastic member 18 can be but not limited to a rubber knob. The multiplier key cap 12 can move up and down relative to the bottom plate 10 via the keycap supporting mechanism 14 . The multiplier key cap 12 can be pressed down to squeeze the elastic member 18 to trigger the switch 16a. The resilient force generated by the elastically deformed elastic member 18 can push upward against the multiplier key cap 12 and return to its original position. In addition, in practice, elastic members (passing through the openings 140b) can also be arranged on the switch circuit board 16 corresponding to the openings 140b on both sides of the keycap supporting mechanism 14, which can also be squeezed by the multiple key keycap 12 to produce Resilience is to reset the multiplier key cap 12. Moreover, the switch circuit board 16 may also have switches corresponding to these elastic members for triggering.

In addition, in this embodiment, the keycap supporting mechanism 14 includes an outer bracket 142 and an inner bracket 144 . The outer bracket 142 and the inner bracket 144 are pivotally connected to each other around a rotation axis 14a (shown by a chain line in the figure), the outer bracket 142 is disposed around the inner bracket 144, and the rotation axis 14a is parallel to the longitudinal direction D1. The outer frame 142 and the inner frame 144 are respectively connected between the multiplier key cap 12 and the bottom plate 10 . Please refer to pictures 2 to 6. The inner bracket 144 includes a first bracket body 1442, a first reinforcement 1444 and a second reinforcement 1446 (in FIGS. 3 and 4, the hidden outlines of the first reinforcement 1444 and the second reinforcement 1446 are dashed line). The first bracket body 1442 forms openings 140a, 140b. The first reinforcement 144 is embedded in the first bracket body 1442, and the elastic modulus of the first reinforcement 144 is greater than that of the first bracket body 1442, so that the first reinforcement 1444 can lift the inner bracket 144 relative to the first bracket body 1442. The overall structural rigidity, that is, to improve the overall structural rigidity of the keycap supporting mechanism 14 . In practice, for example, the first bracket body 1442 can be a polymer (such as but not limited to thermoplastic), and the first reinforcing member 1444 and the second reinforcing member 1446 can be metal rods (such as but not limited to stainless steel rods, copper Rod), the combination of the first bracket body 1442 and the first reinforcing member 1444 and the second reinforcing member 1446 can be realized by embedding and injection.

Both sides of the inner frame 144 in the longitudinal direction D1 define a first side connection section 144a (indicated by a dotted line box in the figure), and the inner frame 144 also defines a first intermediate connection area in the longitudinal direction D1 The segment 144b (indicated by a dotted frame in the figure) is located between the two first side connecting segments 144a in the longitudinal direction D1. The inner frame 144 is connected to the base plate 10 and the multiplier key cap 12 through the first side connection section 144 a and the first middle connection section 144 b. Wherein, each first side connection section 144a comprises two bottom plate connecting portions 144c and two keycap connecting portions 144d, the bottom plate connecting portion 144c is connected with the bottom plate 10 (the connecting portion 102), and the keycap connecting portion 144d is connected with the multiplier key keycap. 12 (connecting portion 122) to connect. The first middle connecting section 144b includes two keycap connecting portions 144e, and the keycap connecting portions 144e are connected to (the connecting portion 124 of) the multiple key cap 12 . In practice, the number of the bottom plate connecting portion 144c and the keycap connecting portion 144d, 144e in each section 144a, 144b depends on the design and is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the sum of the numbers of the bottom plate connection portions 144c and the keycap connection portions 144d of the first side connection section 144a is greater than or equal to three. For another example, the middle connecting section 144b also includes a bottom plate connecting portion.

In addition, in the inner frame 144, the first reinforcement piece 1444 and the second reinforcement piece 1446 extend substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction D1, and the first reinforcement piece 1444 and the second reinforcement piece 1446 pass through the first middle connecting section 144b and extend to the first side connection section 144a. This structural configuration helps to improve the consistency of the structural rigidity of the inner frame 144 in the longitudinal direction D1, and also helps the inner frame 144 to effectively transmit stress in the longitudinal direction D1. Moreover, this structural configuration can also directly increase the structural rigidity of the inner bracket 144 at each section 144a, 144b, so as to improve the stability of the connection between the inner bracket 144, the bottom plate 10 and the multiplier key cap 12. In this embodiment, the first reinforcement 1444 and the second reinforcement 1446 are located on both sides of the rotation axis 14a, so that the structural reinforcement of the inner bracket 144 by the first reinforcement 1444 and the second reinforcement 1446 extends to its four corners . This structural configuration helps to improve the consistency of the structural rigidity of the inner bracket 144, so that the upper and lower sides of the first bracket body 1442 (that is, the side connected to the multiplier key cap 12 and the side connected to the bottom plate 10) all have the effect of structural strengthening. It helps to enhance the strengthening degree of the bottom plate connecting portion 144c and the keycap connecting portion 144d, 144e of each section 144a, 144b, so as to further enhance the stability of the connection between the inner bracket 144, the bottom plate 10 and the multiple key cap 12.

In addition, in this embodiment, the first reinforcing member 1444 and the second reinforcing member 1446 are made of the same material and are symmetrical in structure with respect to the rotation axis 14a, but the implementation is not limited thereto. In addition, in the inner bracket 144 , the first reinforcing member 1444 has bent portions 1444a at multiple places, so that the first reinforcing member 1444 does not extend in a single straight line, and this structure can increase the strengthening effect on the first bracket body 1442 . The bent portion 1444a surrounds at least a part of the outer periphery of the opening 140a, which can reduce the influence of the opening 140a on the structural strength of the inner bracket 144 . In addition, the first side connecting section 144a and the middle connecting section 144b have a bent part 1444a, which can further enhance the strengthening degree of the first side connecting section 144a and the middle connecting section 144b, and also enhance the inner frame 144. The stability of the connection with the bottom plate 10 and the multiplier key cap 12. Moreover, the bent portion 1444a is also disposed adjacent to the opening 140b, which can also reduce the impact of the opening 140a on the structural strength of the inner bracket 144 . In addition, the same situation also applies to the second reinforcement member 1446 , which will not be repeated here. Also, at the opening 140a, the bent portion 1444a of the first reinforcing member 1444 and the bent portion 1446a of the second reinforcing member 1446 are arranged around the opening 140a, which helps the short side direction D3 (refer to FIG. 2 ) on the force transfer. Therefore, the first reinforcing member 1444 and the second reinforcing member 1446 integrally strengthen the structure of the inner bracket 144. During the process of pressing the multiplier key cap 12, the inner bracket 144 can be smoothly transmitted in the long direction D1 and the short direction D3. strength without deformation.

In addition, in this embodiment, the bottom plate 10 can be a metal plate, and the multiplier key cap 12 can be a polymer (such as thermoplastic). The bottom plate connecting portion 144c of the inner bracket 144 is mainly formed by the first bracket body 1442, so the material of the bottom plate connecting portion 144c is softer than that of the bottom plate 10 (connecting portion 102), and the relative sliding/rotation and friction between the two will not produce obvious in principle. sound. In practice, the bottom plate connecting portion 144c can also be formed jointly by the first reinforcing member 1444 and the first bracket body 1442, for example, the first reinforcing member 1444 forms a rod for connecting with the connecting portion 102 of the bottom plate 10, and the rod portion The outer surface is covered with the first bracket body 1442, so that the bottom plate connecting portion 144c that the connecting portion 102 of the bottom plate 10 touches is still a polymer, so in principle, no obvious sound will be produced during relative sliding/rotation and friction. This structural configuration can also increase the structural strength of the bottom plate connection portion 144c, which is beneficial to the stable connection between the bottom plate connection portion 144c and the connection portion 102 of the bottom plate 10 .

In addition, the keycap connecting parts 144d, 144e of the inner bracket 144 are also mainly formed by the first bracket body 1442, and the keycap connecting parts 144d, 144e and the multiplier keycap 12 (connecting parts 122, 124) relatively slide/rotate, rub In principle, no noticeable sound is produced. Similarly, in practice, the keycap connecting parts 144d and 144e can also be formed by the second reinforcing member 1446 and the first bracket body 1442 together, for example, the second reinforcing member 1446 forms a rod for connecting with the connecting part 102 of the bottom plate 10 part, the outer surface of this rod part is covered with the first bracket body 1442, so that the keycap connecting parts 144d, 144e that the connecting parts 122, 124 of the multiplier keycap 12 touch are still polymers, so relative sliding/rotation, When rubbing, in principle, no obvious sound will be produced. This structural configuration can increase the structural strength of the keycap connecting portions 144d, 144e, which is beneficial to the stable connection between the keycap connecting portions 144d, 144e and the connecting portions 122, 124 of the multiplier key cap 12. In addition, in practice, the keycap connecting portions 144d and 144e can be directly formed by the second reinforcing member 1446 . Although the material of the keycap connecting parts 144d and 144e is harder than that of the connecting part 102 of the multiplier keycap 12, the relative sliding/rotation and friction between the two will not produce obvious sound in principle. Similarly, the structural strength of the keycap connecting parts 144d, 144e can be increased, which is beneficial to the stable connection between the keycap connecting parts 144d, 144e and the connecting parts 122, 124 of the multiple key cap 12. In addition, in practice, in the inner frame 144, the first reinforcing member 1444 and the second reinforcing member 1446 can also be directly connected to each other to form a single reinforcing member, such as a ring shape, which can also provide the effect of strengthening the structure of the inner frame 144 .

Please refer to pictures 2, 3, 5 to 7. In this embodiment, the outer bracket 142 includes a second bracket body 1422 and a third reinforcement 1424 (in Fig. 3 and Fig. 7, its hidden outline is shown by dotted lines), and the third reinforcement 1424 is embedded The elastic modulus of the second support body 1422 and the third reinforcement 1424 is greater than that of the second support body 1422, so that the third reinforcement 1424 can improve the overall structural rigidity of the outer support 142 relative to the second support body 1422, and also That is, the overall structural rigidity of the keycap supporting mechanism 14 is improved. In practice, for example, the second bracket body 1422 can be a polymer (such as but not limited to thermoplastic), the third reinforcing member 1424 can be a metal rod (such as but not limited to a stainless steel rod, a copper rod), the second bracket The combination of the main body 1422 and the third reinforcing member 1424 can be realized by embedding and injection.

Both sides of the outer support 142 in the longitudinal direction D1 define a second side connection section 142a (shown in a dotted line box in the figure), and the outer support 142 also defines a second intermediate connection area in the longitudinal direction D1 The segment 142b (indicated by a dotted frame in the figure) is located between the two second side connecting segments 142a in the longitudinal direction D1. The outer bracket 142 is connected to the base plate 10 and the multiplier key cap 12 through the second side connection section 142 a and the second middle connection section 142 b. Wherein, each second side connection section 142a includes a base plate connecting portion 142c and a key cap connecting portion 142d, the base plate connecting portion 142c is connected with the base plate 10 (the connecting portion 104), and the key cap connecting portion 142d is connected with the multiple key key cap 12 (connecting portion 126) to connect. The second middle connection section 142b includes two keycap connecting portions 142e and two bottom plate connecting portions 142f, the keycap connecting portion 142e is connected with the multiple key keycap 12 (the connecting portion 128), and the bottom plate connecting portion 142f is connected with the bottom plate 10 ( Part 106) is connected. Similar to the inner frame 144 , in practice, the number of the bottom plate connecting portions 124 c , 142 f and the keycap connecting portions 142 d , 142 e in each section 142 a , 142 b depends on the design, and will not be repeated here.

In addition, in the outer bracket 142 , the third reinforcing piece 1424 generally extends substantially along the longitudinal direction D1 , and the third reinforcing piece 1424 passes through the second middle connecting section 142 b and extends into the second side connecting section 142 a. This structural configuration helps to improve the consistency of the structural rigidity of the outer support 142 in the longitudinal direction D1, and also helps the outer support 142 to effectively transmit force in the longitudinal direction D1. Both ends of the third reinforcing member 1424 in the longitudinal direction D1 have bent portions 1424a so that the third reinforcing member 1424 does not extend in a single linear direction, and this structural configuration can increase the reinforcing effect on the second bracket body 1422 . Wherein, the bent portion 1424a is located at the corner of the outer bracket 142, so the bent portion 1424a has the ability to strengthen the structural strength of this area. When the corner of the multiple key keycap 12 corresponding to the bending portion 1424a is pressed, the bending portion 1424a can enable the outer bracket 142 to transmit force effectively in the direction of the long side D1 and the direction of the short side D3 without loss of pressing force due to deformation. . In addition, in this embodiment, the bent portion 1424a is located in the second side connecting section 142a and is adjacent to the keycap connecting portion 142d, so the structural rigidity of the keycap connecting portion 142d can be increased, and the outer bracket 142 and the multiple keys can be improved. The stability of the connection of the cap 12.

In addition, in the outer bracket 142, the base plate connecting portions 142c, 142f and the keycap connecting portion 142d are mainly formed by the second bracket body 1422, so they are connected to the connecting portions 104, 106 of the base plate 10, and to the multiple key cap 12. The relative sliding/rotation and friction of the part 126 will not produce obvious sound in principle. The keycap connecting portion 142e is formed by the part of the third reinforcement member 1424 exposing the second bracket body 1422 in the second middle connecting section 142b, so although the bottom plate connecting portion 144c is relatively different from the multiple key keycap 12 (the connecting portion 128) material It is soft, but the relative sliding/rotation and friction between the two will not produce obvious sound in principle. This structural configuration can increase the structural strength of the keycap connecting portion 142e, which is beneficial to the stable connection between the keycap connecting portion 142e and the connecting portion 128 of the multiple key keycap 12 .

In the keycap support mechanism 14, the first reinforcement 1444, the second reinforcement 1446 and the third reinforcement 1424 all have the effect of strengthening the first bracket body 1442 and the second bracket body 1422, so the structure of the outer bracket 142 is strengthened. For other descriptions, please refer to the related descriptions above about the first reinforcement 1444, the second reinforcement 1446 and their variations, and will not be repeated here. In addition, in this embodiment, the outer bracket 142 is configured with a single reinforcing member 1424 , but the implementation is not limited thereto. For example, if the size of the outer frame 142 allows, the outer frame 142 may also include another reinforcement. In addition, if the structural size of the inner bracket 144 allows, the ends of the first reinforcing member 1444 and the second reinforcing member 1446 can also form a structure similar to the bending portion 1424a (of the third reinforcing member 1424 ), which can further strengthen the inner bracket 144 corner structure.

Also, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2. In the multiple key button structure 1, the connecting portion 126 (connected with the outer support 142) of the multiple key key cap 12 is arranged on the key skirt of the multiple key key cap 12, and the connecting portions 122, 124 (connected with the inner support 144) and the connection The part 128 (connected with the outer bracket 142) is arranged adjacent to the key skirt, so in the vertical direction D2, the outline of the keycap support mechanism 14 is only slightly smaller than the outline of the multiple key keycap 12, so that the keycap support mechanism 14 can support more stably Multiplier key cap 12. This structural configuration is also beneficial for the keycap supporting mechanism 14 to transmit the movement of the multiplier keycap 12 in the longitudinal direction D1, that is, to improve the levelness of the multiplier keycap 12 when moving up and down. In addition, in this embodiment, both the second reinforcing member 1446 and the third reinforcing member 1424 are disposed adjacent to the multiplier key cap 12 (wherein the third reinforcing member 1424 is directly connected to the connecting portion 128 of the multiplier key cap 12), so It is helpful to lift the keycap support mechanism 14 to move the multiplier keycap 12 in the longitudinal direction D1; and the second reinforcement 1446 and the third reinforcement 1424 are located on both sides of the rotation axis 14a in the vertical direction D2, which helps Due to the interlocking effect of the keycap support mechanism 14 on the four corners of the multiple key cap 12, in principle, the pressing external force applied to the multiple key cap 12 can be effectively and synchronously transmitted to the multiple key cap 12. The four corners can eliminate or effectively suppress the degree of inclination when the multiplier key cap 12 moves up and down.

As explained above, the outer frame 142 and the inner frame 144 of the keycap supporting mechanism 14 of the multiplier key structure 1 enhance the structural rigidity through the reinforcements 1444 , 1446 , 1424 , and the actuation stability of the multiplier key structure 1 can also be improved. The reinforcements 1444, 1446, and 1424 all extend parallel to the long side direction D1, and have a significant horizontal and stable support effect on the long and narrow keycaps (such as the multiplier keycap 12), so that when the corners of the multiplier keycap 12 are pressed, The keycap support mechanism 14 can indeed transfer the pressing force to the other end of the long side of the multiple key keycap 12 along the long side direction D1 in real time, and the mutually pivoted structure of the outer bracket 142 and the inner bracket 144 can also instantly transfer the pressing force along the direction D1. The direction D3 of the short side is transmitted to the other end of the short side of the multiplier key cap 12; therefore, both ends of the long side and both ends of the short side of the multiplier key cap 12 can be kept close to the same height and lowered synchronously. Therefore, in practice, the multiplier key cap 12 can move up and down smoothly relative to the base plate 10 without using a balance bar. Compared with the key structure design in the prior art that adds a balance bar to the lifting mechanism, the multiple key key structure 1 uses fewer brackets, which can simplify the assembly process and increase the production speed. In addition, in the multiplier key button structure 1, the structurally strengthened outer bracket 142 and inner bracket 144 can increase the structural rigidity without increasing the thickness, so the multiplier key button structure 1 is also suitable for thinner design. The above descriptions are only preferred embodiments of the present invention, and all equivalent changes and modifications made according to the scope of the patent application of the present invention shall fall within the scope of the present invention.

1: Multiple key key structure 10: Bottom plate 102, 104, 106: connecting part 12: multiple key caps 122, 124, 126, 128: connecting part 14: Keycap support mechanism 14a: axis of rotation 140a, 140b: opening 142: Outer bracket 142a: Second side connection section 142b: the second intermediate connection section 142c, 142f: bottom plate connecting part 142d, 142e: key cap connection part 1422: The second bracket body 1424: The third reinforcement 1424a: bending part 144: Inner bracket 144a: first side connection section 144b second intermediate connection section 144c: Bottom plate connecting part 144d, 144e: key cap connection part 1442: The first bracket body 1442a: opening 1444: The first reinforcement 1444a: bending part 1446: Second reinforcement 1446a: bending part 16: Switch circuit board 16a: switch 18: Elastic parts D1: Long side direction D2: vertical direction D3: short side direction

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a multiple key key structure according to an embodiment. Figure 2 is an exploded view of the multiplier key structure in Figure 1. Figure 3 is an exploded view of the keycap support mechanism in Figure 2. Figure 4 is a top view of the inner support of the keycap support mechanism in Figure 2. Figure 5 is an enlarged view of circle A in Figure 2. Figure 6 is an enlarged view of circle B in Figure 2. Figure 7 is a top view of the support outside the keycap support mechanism in Figure 2.

14: Keycap support mechanism

14a: axis of rotation

140a, 140b: opening

142: Outer bracket

142a: Second side connection section

142b: the second intermediate connection section

142c, 142f: bottom plate connecting part

142d, 142e: key cap connection part

1422: The second bracket body

1424: The third reinforcement

144: Inner bracket

144a: first side connection section

144b: the second intermediate connection section

144c: Bottom plate connecting part

144d, 144e: key cap connection part

1442: The first bracket body

1444: The first reinforcement

1446: Second reinforcement

D1: Long side direction

D2: vertical direction

D3: short side direction

Claims (11)

A keycap support mechanism, used to support a multiple keycap on a bottom plate in a vertical direction, the multiple keycap extends longitudinally in a long side direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, and the keycap supports The whole mechanism extends longitudinally in the direction of the long side, and the keycap supporting mechanism includes: an outer bracket; and An inner bracket, the outer bracket and the inner bracket are pivotally connected to each other around a rotation axis, the rotation axis is parallel to the longitudinal direction, the outer bracket is arranged around the inner bracket, and the inner bracket includes a first bracket body and a The first reinforcing piece is embedded in the first bracket body, the elastic modulus of the first reinforcing piece is greater than the elastic modulus of the first bracket body, and the inner bracket is on both sides in the longitudinal direction. A first side connection section is defined, and each first side connection section includes at least one bottom plate connection portion and at least one keycap connection portion, and the first reinforcing member extends into the two first side connection sections. The keycap supporting mechanism according to claim 1, wherein in one of the first side connecting sections, the sum of the at least one bottom plate connecting portion and the at least one keycap connecting portion is greater than or equal to three. The keycap supporting mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the inner bracket includes a second reinforcing member embedded in the first bracket body and extending into the two first side connecting sections. The keycap support mechanism as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first reinforcement and the second reinforcement are located on both sides of the rotation axis. The keycap supporting mechanism as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first reinforcing member and the second reinforcing member are made of the same material and are symmetrical in structure with respect to the rotation axis. The keycap support mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the first bracket body is a polymer, and the first reinforcing member is a metal rod. The keycap supporting mechanism as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first reinforcing member has at least one bent portion located in one of the first side connecting sections. The keycap supporting mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the inner bracket defines a first middle connection section in the longitudinal direction, and the first middle connection section is located on the two first sides in the long direction Between the connecting sections, the first intermediate connecting section includes a bottom plate connecting portion or a keycap connecting portion. The keycap supporting mechanism as described in claim 1, wherein the outer bracket includes a second bracket body and a third reinforcement, the third reinforcement is embedded in the second bracket body, and the elastic modulus of the third reinforcement greater than the modulus of elasticity of the second bracket body, and define a second side connection section on both sides in the longitudinal direction, each second side connection section includes at least one bottom plate connection portion and at least one keycap In the connecting portion, the third reinforcing piece extends into the two second side connecting sections. The keycap supporting mechanism according to claim 9, wherein the outer bracket defines a second middle connection section in the longitudinal direction, and the second middle connection section is located on the two second sides in the long direction Between the connecting sections, the second intermediate connecting section includes a keycap connecting portion, and the third reinforcing member exposes a part of the second bracket body in the second intermediate connecting section as the keycap connecting portion. A multiple key key structure, comprising: a bottom plate; a multiple key cap, the multiple key cap extends lengthwise in a long side direction; and The keycap support mechanism described in any one of claims 1 to 10, the keycap support mechanism supports the multiplier key cap on the bottom plate in a vertical direction, and the vertical direction is perpendicular to the long side direction , both the outer bracket and the inner bracket are connected between the bottom plate and the multiplier key cap, wherein, in each first side connection section, the at least one bottom plate connecting portion is connected to the bottom plate, and the at least one key The cap connecting portion is connected with the multiplier key cap.

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