TWI416372B - An electronic device with a rotatable keyboard - Google Patents

Abstract

An electronic device with a rotatable keyboard is provided. The electronic device includes a cover and a base. The cover is attached to a pressing board with a plurality of pressing portions. The electronic device further includes at least one rotatable member located behind the pressing board. The rotatable member includes an electronic board having at least two surfaces. At least one contact point is defined in one surface of the electronic board. A gear group is attached to the rotatable member for enabling the rotatable member to rotate. The rotatable member and the gear group are received in a receiving space defined in the base. A knob is received in another receiving space defined in the base. The gear group is rotated by rotating the knob, thus the rotatable member is rotated.

Description

Electronic device with rotating keyboard

The invention relates to an electronic device, in particular to a keyboard-type electronic device with a keyboard rotatable.

Electronic products, such as palm-type personal computers, mobile phones, personal digital assistants and other handheld electronic devices, most need to use the keyboard to operate and input data to the electronic device. Especially with the rapid development of smart phones, their functions are becoming more and more powerful, such as sending and receiving e-mails, word processing and other functions. Things that can only be processed on computers can now be executed on smart phones. A complete English keyboard is required to make the most of it. However, although the complete English keyboard increases the convenience of paper processing, it occupies most of the operation space of the mobile phone, which affects the original appearance of the mobile phone, and is not conducive to the development of miniaturization and lightness of the mobile phone. In addition, the text button is shared with the commonly used digital dialing button, which also causes the inconvenience of the mobile phone dialing.

In view of this, it is necessary to provide an electronic device having a rotating keyboard.

An electronic device having a rotary keyboard includes a button cover having a plurality of button holes and a base, the button cover being coupled to a pressing plate having a plurality of transparent pressing surfaces, the electronic device further comprising at least one rotating contact strip located at the pressing Below the board, the rotating contact strip includes a circuit flexible board having at least two bonding faces, each of which is provided with one or more contacts for the user to touch The electronic device inputs a corresponding symbol or command; a gear set is fixed on the rotating contact strip for driving the rotating contact strip; the base is provided with a first receiving slot, and the rotating contact strip and the gear set are received in the A second receiving slot is disposed in the first receiving slot, and a switch knob is received in the second receiving slot and partially exposed in the second receiving slot, and the exposed portion of the switching knob is rotated, and the switching knob is driven. The gear set rotates, the gear set drives the rotating contact strip to rotate, and the rotating contact strip rotates to switch different bonding surfaces to be coupled to the pressing surface.

The above electronic device with a rotating keyboard can greatly reduce the area occupied by the keyboard occupying the operation surface of the electronic device, and reduce the size of the electronic device. In addition, different types of symbol contacts are disposed on different bonding surfaces of the rotating contact strip of the electronic device. To make the electronic device more convenient and comprehensive in use.

Please refer to FIG. 1 , which is a perspective view of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The electronic device 10 has a plurality of buttons 100 and a switching knob 200. Rotating the toggle knob 200 changes the symbol displayed on the button 100. For example, the switch knob 200 is rotated to a position, the uppercase English letters and other symbols are displayed on the button 100, and the switch knob 200 is rotated to another position, and the lowercase English letters and other symbols are displayed on the button 100. The symbol displayed on the button 100 represents a symbol or command input to the electronic device 10 after the button 100 is pressed.

Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 together, a partial exploded view of the two viewing angles of the electronic device 10 is shown. The electronic device 10 further includes a button cover 300, a pressing plate 400, a plurality of rotating contact strips 500, a base 600, and a bottom cover 700.

The button cover 300 is provided with a plurality of button holes 301, and the pressing plate 400 is provided with a plurality of transparent pressing faces 401. When the pressing plate 400 is overlaid on the key cover 300, each pressing surface 401 protrudes from a corresponding key hole 301.

The rotating contact strip 500 has at least two bonding faces for combining with the pressing surface 401 on the pressing plate 400. Each bonding surface is provided with a plurality of contacts 501, and each of the contacts 501 is marked with a symbol, such as an English letter. Digit letters, etc. The rotating contact strip 500 is rotated by a gear set 800, and the gear set 800 is rotated by the switching knob 200 (refer to FIG. 8 in detail), so that different joint faces of the rotating contact strip 500 are coupled to the pressing surface 401 at different rotation angles. The gear set 800 includes a plurality of first type gears 801 and a plurality of second type gears 802. The first type of gears 801 are fixed to one end of the rotating contact strip 500, and the second type of gears 802 are engaged with the adjacent two first type of gears 801.

A first receiving groove 601 is defined in a surface of the base 600 facing the button cover 300 for receiving the rotating contact strip 500 and the gear set 800. A second receiving slot 602 is defined in a side of the base 600 facing the bottom cover 700 for receiving the switching knob 200.

Referring to FIG. 4, an exploded view of the rotating contact strip 500 is shown. The rotating contact strip 500 includes a circuit board 502 and a rotating column 503. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the rotating column 503 is a triangular column having a triangular cross section. In other embodiments, the spin column 503 can also be a bar of other shapes. The circuit board 502 is sleeved on the periphery of the rotating column 505. The bonding surface on the rotating contact strip 500 is disposed on the circuit board, and the contact 501 is disposed on the bonding surface.

Referring to FIG. 5, a partial view of the base 600 facing one side of the button cover 300 is shown. A plurality of first type of slots 604 are defined in a side wall 603 of the first receiving slot 601 of the base 600. The other side of the first receiving slot 601 is symmetrically disposed on the side wall (not shown) opposite to the side wall 603. The first type of slot 604. A second type of slot 605 is defined in the symmetrical position of each of the two adjacent slots 603 of the first side of the slot 603. The bottom of the first receiving slot 601 is provided with a fixed post 606 corresponding to each slot 605 of the second type. A slot is formed in the top of the fixing post 606. The first type of slot 604 is defined in the side wall 603 and the side wall opposite to the side wall 603 for supporting the rotating contact strip 500 and the first type of gear 801 disposed on the rotating contact strip 500, and the second type of slot formed in the side wall 603 A slot 605 is formed in the top of the fixed post 606 for supporting the second type of gear 802.

Please refer to FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 , which are respectively a perspective view of the switching knob 200 , a partial view of the base 600 facing the bottom cover 700 , and a state view of the switching knob 200 for rotating the gear set 800 .

At the center of the switching knob 200 is a crown gear 201, and a shaft hole 202 is defined in the center of the crown gear 201. A cavity 203 having a certain curvature is disposed at a position of the switching knob 200 near the side surface. An engaging portion 204 is disposed at a position of the side surface of the switching knob 200 near the cavity 203. The engaging portion 204 includes two adjacent projections.

A gear groove 608 connected to a through hole 607 for receiving the crown gear 201 is disposed at a center of the bottom of the second receiving groove 602 of the base 600. A hollow cylindrical projection 609 is provided at the center of the bottom of the gear groove 608. The bottom of the second receiving groove 602 is disposed near the side wall thereof with a finite pole 610, and at least two protruding blocking portions 611 are disposed on the side wall. In the present embodiment, since the rotating contact strip 500 has three joint faces, three barrier portions 611 are correspondingly provided.

The switching knob 200 is sleeved on the periphery of the protrusion 609 through the shaft hole 202. A screw 900 passes through the cavity of the protrusion 609 to fix the switching knob 200 to the second receiving groove 602, and the switching knob 200 can rotate around the protrusion 609. When the switch knob 200 is received in the second receiving slot 602, a portion of the switch knob 200 extends out of the second receiving slot 602 for the user to rotate, the crown gear 201 is received in the gear slot 608, and a portion of the crown gear 201 extends through the through hole 607. The receiving slot 601 is engaged with a second gear 802, and the two limiting studs 610 extend into the cavity 203. The crown gear 201 meshes with a second type of gear 802 located directly above the through hole 607 to drive the second type of gear 802 to rotate. The second type of gear 802 then drives the adjacent first type of gear 801 to rotate. Thus, the rotation of all the rotating contact strips 500 is driven by the cooperation of the first type of gear 801 and the second type of gear 802.

When the switching knob 200 is rotated until the engaging portion 204 catches one of the blocking portions 611, the position of the switching knob 200 is fixed, a joint surface of the rotating contact strip 500 is coupled to the pressing surface 401, and the pressing surface 401 is pressed, and the pressing surface 401 is pressed. The contacts 501 on the bonding surface are in contact with each other, and a character or command corresponding to the contact 501 on the bonding surface is input to the electronic device 1. The limiting protrusion 610 is used to limit the rotation amplitude of the switching knob 200. When the switching knob 200 is rotated clockwise to the end of the cavity 203 to contact the limiting protrusion 610, the switching knob 200 cannot be continued in the clockwise direction. When the hour hand rotates the switching knob 200 until the other end of the cavity 203 comes into contact with the limit stud 610, the switching knob 200 cannot be continuously rotated in the counterclockwise direction. In this way, the user can only rotate the switching knob 200 within a certain range, which facilitates the user to rotate the switching knob 200 to the required bonding surface of the rotating contact strip 500 to be combined with the pressing surface 401.

10‧‧‧Electronic devices

300‧‧‧Key cover

301‧‧‧ keyhole

400‧‧‧ Press plate

401‧‧‧ pressing surface

500‧‧‧Spinning column

501‧‧‧Contacts

800‧‧‧ Gear Set

801‧‧‧First gear

802‧‧‧Second gear

600‧‧‧Base

601‧‧‧First storage trough

500‧‧‧Switch knob

700‧‧‧ bottom cover

1 is a perspective view of an electronic device having a rotating keyboard in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a partial exploded view of the electronic device of FIG. 1.

3 is a partial exploded view of another perspective of the electronic device of FIG. 1.

4 is an exploded view of the rotating contact strip of the electronic device of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a partial view of the base of the electronic device of FIG. 2. FIG.

6 is a perspective view of the switching knob of the electronic device of FIG. 2.

Figure 7 is a partial elevational view of the base of the electronic device of Figure 3.

FIG. 8 is a view showing a state in which the switching knob of the electronic device of FIG. 2 drives the gear set to rotate.

10‧‧‧Electronic devices

300‧‧‧Key cover

301‧‧‧ keyhole

400‧‧‧ Press plate

401‧‧‧ pressing surface

500‧‧‧Spinning column

501‧‧‧Contacts

800‧‧‧ Gear Set

801‧‧‧First gear

802‧‧‧Second gear

600‧‧‧Base

601‧‧‧First storage trough

500‧‧‧Switch knob

700‧‧‧ bottom cover

Claims (8)

An electronic device with a rotating keyboard includes a button cover having a plurality of button holes and a base connected to a pressing plate having a plurality of transparent pressing surfaces, wherein:
The electronic device further includes at least one rotating contact strip under the pressing plate, the rotating contact strip includes a circuit soft board, the circuit flexible board has at least two bonding surfaces, and each bonding surface is provided with one or more contacts. The one or more contacts are touched by a user to input corresponding symbols or commands to the electronic device; a gear set is fixed on the rotating contact strip for driving the rotating contact strip; and the base is provided with a first receiving a slot, the rotating contact strip and the gear set are received in the first receiving slot, the base is additionally provided with a second receiving slot, a switching knob is received in the second receiving slot and partially exposed in the second receiving slot Rotating the exposed portion of the switching knob, the switching knob drives the gear set to rotate, the gear set drives the rotating contact strip to rotate, and the rotating contact strip rotates to switch different bonding surfaces to be coupled to the pressing surface. The electronic device with a rotating keyboard according to claim 1, wherein the rotating contact strip further comprises a rotating column, the circuit soft board is sleeved on the periphery of the rotating column, and the gear set is fixed on the rotating column on. The electronic device with a rotary keyboard according to the second aspect of the invention, wherein the gear set includes a plurality of first type gears and a plurality of second type gears, the first type gears being fixed to one end of the rotating column, the first The second type of gear meshes with the adjacent first type of gear. The electronic device with a rotary keyboard according to the third aspect of the invention, wherein a first side wall of the first receiving groove is provided with a plurality of first type of slots, and the first receiving groove is opposite to the first side wall. The second side wall is symmetrically disposed with the same number of first type of slots, and the first side wall defines a second type of slot between each adjacent first type of slot, the first receiving slot bottom and each second a fixing post having a slot is formed at a position opposite to the slot, the first slot is configured to support the rotating contact strip and the first type of gear disposed on the rotating contact strip; the second type of slot The hole and the slot formed in the top of the fixing column are used to support the second type of gear. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein a center of the switching knob is a crown gear, and a center of the bottom of the second receiving slot is provided with a gear slot connecting a through hole, when the switching knob is received The crown gear is received in the gear slot, and a portion of the crown gear extends from the through hole into the first receiving slot to engage with a second gear, and the exposed portion of the switching knob is rotated. The gear drives the second gear to rotate, the second gear drives the gear set to rotate, and the gear set drives the rotating contact bar to rotate. The electronic device with a rotary keyboard according to the fifth aspect of the invention, wherein the switching knob side surface is provided with an engaging portion, and the receiving groove side wall is provided with at least two convex blocking portions, and the switching is performed. When the knob is engaged with one of the blocking portions, the position of the switching knob is fixed, and a joint surface of the rotating contact strip is coupled to the pressing surface. The electronic device with a rotating keyboard according to the sixth aspect of the invention, wherein the switching knob is disposed at a position close to the engaging portion with a cavity having a certain arc, and the second receiving groove is provided with a finite column. The switching knob is received in the second receiving slot, and the limiting protrusion protrudes into the cavity to limit the rotation amplitude of the switching knob. The electronic device with a rotating keyboard according to claim 5, wherein a shaft hole is defined in a center of the crown gear, and a hollow cylindrical protrusion is disposed at a bottom center of the gear groove, and the switching knob passes The shaft hole is sleeved around the periphery of the protrusion, and a screw passes through the cavity of the protrusion to fix the switching knob to the second receiving groove, and the switching knob is rotated around the protrusion.