TWI438808B - Keypad assembly and portable electronic device using same - Google Patents

Description

Key assembly and portable electronic device having the same

The present invention relates to a key assembly, and more particularly to a portable electronic device having the same.

With the development of technology, portable electronic devices are developing in a light, thin and short direction. To this end, thin button components came into being.

A thin button assembly generally includes a circuit board, a button cover, a button body, and a mounting frame. The circuit board is provided with a plurality of arc-shaped triggering pieces, and a light source is disposed adjacent to each of the triggering pieces. The mounting frame and the circuit board are respectively located on two sides of the button body. The button cover is combined with the button body. The button cover is used for direct contact pressing by the operator. The button body includes a plurality of cantilevers. The end of the plurality of cantilevers is fixed to the mounting frame, so that the button cover and the button body are mounted on the mounting frame, and a gap is formed between the button body and the circuit board, so that the button body has a certain pressing stroke. Each button body is aligned with a triggering piece. In use, the button body travels toward the triggering elastic piece by the tensile elastic deformation of the cantilever to press the triggering piece and the corresponding rebounding action.

However, the thin button assembly adopts a mounting mechanism, and the mounting frame is located outside the gap, so that the overall thickness of the thin button is still large, and in order to ensure a certain Pressing the feel, the length of the cantilever is usually longer, which increases the relative size of the thin button assembly.

In view of this, it is necessary to provide a button assembly of a smaller size.

It is also necessary to provide a portable electronic device in which the key assembly is mounted.

A button assembly includes a button cover, a button body, a circuit board and a bracket fixed on the circuit board. The circuit board is provided with a plurality of triggering elastic pieces, and the button cover is integrated with the button body, and the button body is integrated Aligning with the triggering piece of the circuit board, the bracket includes a plurality of supporting columns connected to each other, the button body is coupled to the supporting column, and the supporting column is abutted between the cantilever and the circuit board for each triggering elastic piece Isolated from each other.

A portable electronic device is provided with a button assembly, the button assembly includes a button cover, a button body, a circuit board and a bracket fixed on the circuit board, and the circuit board is provided with a plurality of triggering elastic pieces. The button cover is integrated with the button body, and the button body is aligned with the triggering piece of the circuit board. The bracket includes a plurality of supporting columns connected to each other, the button body is coupled to the supporting column, and the supporting column is resisted by the Between the cantilever and the circuit board, the triggering pieces are separated from each other.

Compared with the prior art, the bracket of the present invention is located between the button body and the circuit board, thereby reducing the size of the vertical circuit board of the button assembly.

10‧‧‧Circuit board components

11‧‧‧Key cover

111‧‧‧First button cover

112‧‧‧Second button cover

12‧‧‧Key body

121‧‧‧ upper surface

1211‧‧‧Installation Department

122‧‧‧ lower surface

1221‧‧‧ Press column

123‧‧‧cantilever

13‧‧‧Circuit board

131‧‧‧trigger shrapnel

132‧‧‧Light source

14‧‧‧ bracket

141‧‧‧ accommodating slots

142‧‧‧Support column

1 is a perspective exploded view of a preferred embodiment of the button assembly of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another angle of the button body shown in FIG. 1; 3 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the key assembly of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the key assembly of the present invention; FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the preferred embodiment of the key assembly of the present invention.

The button assembly of the invention is suitable for portable electronic devices such as mobile phones and personal handheld computers.

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , the button assembly 10 includes a plurality of button covers 11 , a button body 12 , a circuit board 13 , and a bracket 14 . The button cover 11 is integrated with the button body 12. The button body 12 is coupled to the bracket 14 and aligned with the circuit board 13.

The button cover 11 can be rectangular, circular or other shape for direct contact pressing by an operator. The button cover 11 includes a plurality of first button covers 111 and a second button cover 112. The plurality of first button covers 111 are disposed around the second button cover 112. The second button cover 112 is a multi-directional button cover. A button identifier such as a character, a number, or a symbol is printed on the first button cover 111 and the second button cover 112. The button cover 11 is made of a polycarbonate material (Polycarbonate, PC) by an injection molding method.

The button body 12 is substantially a rectangular plate-like body. The button body 12 includes an upper surface 121 and a lower surface 122 opposite the upper surface 121. The upper surface 121 has a plurality of mounting portions 1211 for mounting the button cover 11 thereon. In this embodiment, the button cover 11 can be fixed to the mounting portion 1211 of the button body 12 by bonding. The lower surface 122 is provided with a plurality of pressing columns 1221 corresponding to the mounting portion 1211, so that a plurality of cantilevers 123 are formed between the pressing columns 1221. The pressing post 1221 is for pressing the circuit board 13. A light guiding surface 1222 is disposed on one side of the pressing column 1221. The suspension The arm 123 is fixed to the bracket 14 , so that the button cover 11 and the button body 12 are mounted on the bracket 14 . The thickness of the cantilever 123 is much smaller than the thickness of the pressing column 1221. The cantilever 123 has a certain deformation capability, and can be restored to the original shape after being elastically deformed, thereby driving the pressing column 1221 to return to the original position.

The circuit board 13 is provided with a plurality of arc-shaped triggering elastic pieces 131, and a light source 132 is disposed adjacent to each of the triggering elastic pieces 131. In this embodiment, the light source 132 is a light emitting diode (LED). Each of the button bodies 12 is aligned with a triggering elastic piece 131 and spaced apart from the triggering elastic piece 131 by a distance.

The bracket 14 is substantially a frame body, and a plurality of receiving slots 141 are defined in the corresponding mounting portion 1211, so as to form support posts 142 disposed around the receiving slots 141 and connected to each other. The bracket 14 is disposed between the lower surface 122 of the button body 12 and the circuit board 13. The accommodating slots 141 are respectively disposed in a pair of pressing columns 1221, a triggering elastic piece 131 and a light source 132. The support column 142 is abutted between the cantilever 123 and the circuit board 13 , and the pressing column 1221 and the triggering elastic piece 131 and the light source 132 are disposed in pairs, and the pressing column 1221 and the triggering elastic piece 131 and the light source 131 are disposed in pairs. Isolated from each other. The bracket 14 is made of a material that is opaque and elastically deformable. In the present embodiment, the bracket 14 is made of foam.

In the assembly, the button cover 11 is first fixed on the button body 12; then the bracket 14 is fixed on the circuit board 13, and each of the receiving slots 141 receives a triggering elastic piece 131 and a corresponding light source 132. The light guide surface 1222 is directed toward the corresponding one of the light sources 132. Finally, the cantilever 123 of the corresponding button body 12 is fixed to the support column 142 of the bracket 14. Since the accommodating groove 141 accommodates the light source 132 therein, the light leakage intensity between the button covers 11 is weakened, and the light guiding surface is provided by 1222, the light emitted by the light source 132 can be directed to the other side of the first button cover 111 or the second button cover 112 opposite to the light source 132, so that the entire first button cover 111 or the second button cover 112 has a uniform light. .

When in use, the cantilever 123 of the button body 12 of the button cover 11 is elastically stretched, and the corresponding pressing column 1221 of the button body 12 faces the triggering piece 131 of the circuit board 13. When the pressing column 1221 presses the triggering piece 131 to input a signal, the button cover 11 is released, and the button cover 11 is automatically reset under the elastic recovery of the cantilever 123. It should be noted that during the pressing of the button cover 11, a slight elastic deformation occurs on the support post 142 of the bracket 14, thus supplementing the elastic restoring force of the cantilever 123, and in the structural design of the button assembly 10, The associated dimensions of the cantilever 123 are reduced, thereby reducing the size of the button assembly 10 on the parallel circuit board 13. In addition, since the bracket 14 is located between the lower surface 122 of the button body 12 and the circuit board 13, the size of the vertical circuit board 13 of the button assembly 10 is reduced.

In summary, the present invention complies with the requirements of the invention patent and submits a patent application according to law. However, the above is only the preferred embodiment of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and those skilled in the art can make the spirit of the present invention. Equivalent modifications or variations are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.

10‧‧‧Circuit board components

11‧‧‧Key cover

111‧‧‧First button cover

112‧‧‧Second button cover

12‧‧‧Key body

121‧‧‧ upper surface

1211‧‧‧Installation Department

122‧‧‧ lower surface

13‧‧‧Circuit board

131‧‧‧trigger shrapnel

132‧‧‧Light source

14‧‧‧ bracket

141‧‧‧ accommodating slots

142‧‧‧Support column

Claims (10)

A button assembly includes a button cover, a button body and a circuit board. The circuit board is provided with a plurality of triggering elastic pieces, and the button cover is integrated with the button body. The button body is a plate body, which includes an upper plate. a surface and a lower surface opposite to the upper surface, the lower surface is provided with a plurality of pressing columns to form a plurality of cantilevers connected between the plurality of pressing columns, the plurality of pressing columns being aligned with the plurality of triggering elastic pieces of the circuit board The improvement is that the button assembly further includes a bracket fixed on the circuit board, the bracket includes a plurality of support columns connected to each other, the button body is coupled to the support column, and the support column abuts the cantilever and the circuit Between the boards, the triggering pieces are separated from each other. The brackets are provided with a plurality of receiving slots, and each of the receiving slots respectively accommodates a pressing column and a triggering piece disposed in pairs. The button assembly of claim 1, wherein the support column is disposed around the accommodating groove. The button assembly of claim 2, wherein the upper surface has a plurality of mounting portions corresponding to the pressing posts for mounting the button cover thereon, the cantilever being coupled to the support column. The button assembly of claim 1, wherein the bracket is made of a material having elastic deformation capability. The button assembly of claim 2, wherein the bracket is made of a material that is opaque. The button assembly of claim 1, wherein the bracket is made of foam. The button assembly of claim 2, wherein a light source is disposed adjacent to each triggering piece on the circuit board, and each of the button bodies is aligned with a triggering piece and spaced apart from the triggering piece by a distance. Each of the receiving slots accommodates a corresponding triggering elastic piece and an adjacent light source, and each of the pressing columns is provided with a light guiding surface, and each of the light guiding surfaces faces the corresponding light source. A portable electronic device is provided with a button assembly. The button assembly includes a button cover, a button body and a circuit board. The circuit board is provided with a plurality of triggering elastic pieces, and the button cover is integrated with the button body. The button body is a plate body, and includes an upper surface and a lower surface opposite to the upper surface, the lower surface is provided with a plurality of pressing columns, thereby forming a plurality of cantilevers connected between the plurality of pressing columns, the plurality of pressing The pillar is aligned with the plurality of triggering elastic pieces of the circuit board, and the improvement is that the button assembly further includes a bracket fixed on the circuit board, the bracket includes a plurality of supporting columns connected to each other, and the button body is connected to the support On the column, the support column is abutted between the cantilever and the circuit board, and is used for isolating the triggering elastic pieces from each other. The bracket is provided with a plurality of accommodating grooves, and each of the accommodating grooves respectively receives a pair of pressing Column and a triggering shrapnel. The portable electronic device of claim 8, wherein the support column is disposed around the accommodating groove. The portable electronic device of claim 9, wherein the circuit board is provided with a light source adjacent to each of the triggering elastic pieces, and each of the key bodies is aligned with a triggering elastic piece and spaced apart from the triggering elastic piece by a distance. Each of the receiving slots accommodates a corresponding triggering elastic piece and an adjacent light source, and each of the pressing columns is provided with a light guiding surface, and each of the light guiding surfaces faces the corresponding light source.