TWI664654B - Keyswitch device and keyboard - Google Patents

Abstract

A key device includes a bottom plate, a circuit layer, a key cap, and a ring structure. The circuit layer is disposed on the bottom plate and has a plurality of conducting portions. The keycap is located above the circuit layer. The ring structure is substantially disposed between the circuit layer and the key cap along an outer edge of the key cap, and includes a plurality of pressing portions. The pressing portion abuts the keycap and is aligned above the conducting portion, respectively.

Description

Key device and keyboard

The invention relates to a key device and a keyboard.

In terms of current personal computer usage habits, the key device is one of the indispensable input devices for entering text or numbers. Not only that, all consumer electronics products or large-scale processing equipment used in industry need to be equipped with a button structure as an input device to operate the above-mentioned electronic products and processing equipment.

For the keys on the key device, a rubber dome disposed below the center of the keycap is generally used to press the circuit layer, so that the circuit layer is electrically turned on and off to trigger the key signal. In order to balance the user's force on each key, a linkage structure is usually provided under the keycap of the key to guide the keycap to move vertically. Therefore, no matter the force is applied to the side or corner of the keycap, the force can be evenly distributed on the entire surface of the keycap, making it easy to press the entire key, and making it easier for the user to operate the key. For example, the conventional scissor-type linkage structure is formed by two support members being alternately arranged with each other.

However, for multiple keys, the distance from the corner to the center of the keycap is large, especially for thin keys. The multiple keys are often structurally strong. Insufficient degree, resulting in a large loss of corners (that is, the corners of the keycap are pushed down, but the center of the keycap does not fall), and the rubber dome located below the center of the keycap is difficult to successfully trigger the key signal , And cause pressure problems.

Therefore, how to propose a key device and a keyboard that can solve the above problems is one of the problems that the industry is eager to invest in research and development resources.

In view of this, an object of the present invention is to provide a key device and a keyboard which can effectively solve the problem of heavy pressure.

In order to achieve the above object, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a key device includes a bottom plate, a circuit layer, a keycap, and a ring structure. The circuit layer is disposed on the bottom plate and has a plurality of conducting portions. The keycap is located above the circuit layer. The ring structure is substantially disposed between the circuit layer and the key cap along an outer edge of the key cap, and includes a plurality of pressing portions. The pressing portion abuts the keycap and is aligned above the conducting portion, respectively.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the outer edge of the keycap has a plurality of corners. The pressing portions are substantially aligned with the corners, respectively.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the orthographic projection of the keycap on the circuit layer covers the conducting portion.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the above-mentioned ring structure further includes a plurality of deformation portions and a plurality of connection portions. The deformed portions are respectively connected to the pressing portions. The connection portion is disposed on the circuit layer and is connected between the deformation portions in a surrounding manner. Each connection portion is disposed substantially along a part of an outer edge of the keycap.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, each of the above changes The shaped part partially surrounds the corresponding pressing part.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the deformed portion includes a curved surface structure extending downward from the pressing portion.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, at least a part of the above-mentioned ring structure is transparent.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the above-mentioned ring structure includes a plurality of light-transmitting portions, and at least two of the light-transmitting portions have different colors.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the aforementioned key device further includes an auxiliary reset structure. The auxiliary reset structure is disposed between the circuit layer and the keycap, and is located within the surrounding range of the ring structure.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the aforementioned key device further includes at least one linkage structure. The at least one interlocking structure is connected between the bottom plate and the keycap, and is located within the surrounding range of the ring structure.

In order to achieve the above object, according to another embodiment of the present invention, a keyboard includes a bottom plate, a circuit layer, and a plurality of key structures. The circuit layer is disposed on the bottom plate and has a plurality of conducting groups. The key structures each include a keycap and a ring structure. The keycap is located above the circuit layer. The ring structure is substantially disposed between the circuit layer and the key cap along an outer edge of the key cap, and includes a plurality of pressing portions. The pressing portion abuts the keycap and is aligned above the corresponding group of conducting portions.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the orthographic projection of the keycap on the circuit layer covers the corresponding group of conducting portions.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, each of the key structures described above further includes an auxiliary reset structure. The auxiliary reset structure is set on the circuit layer And the corresponding keycap, and located within the surrounding range of the corresponding ring structure.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, each of the key structures described above further includes at least one linkage structure. The linkage structure is connected between the bottom plate and the corresponding keycap, and is located within the surrounding range of the corresponding ring structure.

In summary, in the key device and the keyboard of the present invention, the circuit layer has a plurality of conducting portions, and the ring structure includes a plurality of pressing portions aligned above the conducting portions, respectively. By providing multiple sets of key switches (that is, a combination of a conducting portion and a pressing portion) in a single key device, the difficulty of triggering a key signal can be effectively reduced, and the success rate of triggering a key signal is greatly increased. In addition, by placing the ring structure substantially below the keycap along the outer edge of the keycap, the problem of heavy pressure of the conventional key device can also be effectively solved.

The above is only used to explain the problem to be solved by the present invention, the technical means for solving the problem, and the effects produced by it, etc. The specific details of the present invention will be described in detail in the following embodiments and related drawings.

100‧‧‧ keyboard

101‧‧‧button device

110‧‧‧ floor

111‧‧‧ card hook

120‧‧‧Circuit layer

121‧‧‧Conducting Department

130‧‧‧Keycap

131‧‧‧ outer edge

131a‧‧‧ corner

140‧‧‧ ring structure

141‧‧‧Pressing section

142‧‧‧Deformation Department

143‧‧‧Connection Department

150‧‧‧ auxiliary reset structure

160‧‧‧Interlocking structure

D‧‧‧ extension direction

P‧‧‧ Orthographic

In order to make the above and other objects, features, advantages, and embodiments of the present invention more comprehensible, the description of the drawings is as follows: FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a keyboard of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a key device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3A is a partial cross-sectional view showing the key device of FIG. 1 along the line segment 3A-3A, in which the keycap has not been pressed.

FIG. 3B shows another part of the key device in FIG. 1 along the line segment 3A-3A. A partially cutaway view in which the keycap has been pressed.

FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view showing a portion indicated by a dotted frame in FIG. 2.

In the following, a plurality of embodiments of the present invention will be disclosed graphically. For the sake of clarity, many practical details will be described in the following description. It should be understood, however, that these practical details should not be used to limit the invention. That is, in some embodiments of the present invention, these practical details are unnecessary. In addition, in order to simplify the drawings, some conventional structures and components will be shown in the drawings in a simple and schematic manner.

Please refer to Figure 1. FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional assembled view of a keyboard 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the keyboard 100 in this embodiment may be an external keyboard (for example, a keyboard with a PS2 interface or a keyboard with a USB interface) for a desktop computer, or an input device including a keyboard. Limited. In other words, the concept of the keyboard 100 of the present invention can be applied to any electronic product that uses a pressing method as an input interface.

Please refer to Figures 2 to 3B. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a key device 101 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3A is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating the key device 101 in FIG. 1 along a line segment 3A-3A, in which the keycap 130 has not been pressed. FIG. 3B is another partial cross-sectional view illustrating the key device 101 in FIG. 1 along the line segment 3A-3A, in which the keycap 130 has been pressed. Hereinafter, the structure and function of each element included in the key device 101 and the connection and operation relationship between the elements will be described in detail.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in this embodiment, the keyboard 100 includes a base plate 110, a circuit layer 120, and a plurality of key structures. The at least one key structure includes a keycap 130 and a ring structure 140. The circuit layer 120 is disposed on the base plate 110. The keycap 130 is located above the circuit layer 120. The ring structure 140 is disposed between the circuit layer 120 and the keycap 130 substantially along the outer edge 131 of the keycap 130. The combination of the bottom plate 110, the circuit layer 120, and the at least one key structure described above can be regarded as a key device 101. Hereinafter, a single key device 101 will be described in conjunction with the drawings.

Further, the ring structure 140 includes a plurality of pressing portions 141, a plurality of deforming portions 142, and a plurality of connecting portions 143 (only one is labeled as an example in FIG. 2). In this embodiment, the pressing portion 141 of the ring structure 140 abuts the lower surface of the keycap 130. The deformation portions 142 of the ring structure 140 are respectively connected to the pressing portions 141. The connection portion 143 of the ring structure 140 is disposed on the circuit layer 120 and is connected between the deformation portions 142 in a circumferential manner. Each connection portion 143 is substantially disposed along a part of the outer edge 131 of the keycap 130. The deformed portion 142 is elastic and deformable. Therefore, when the keycap 130 is pressed, the pressing portion 141 abutting the bottom surface of the keycap 130 moves toward the circuit layer 120 and deforms the connected deformed portion 142. Preferably, the ring structure 140 is made of rubber, so it can be deformed by external force. In actual implementation, other suitable materials can also be used, and the disclosure is not limited thereto.

With the foregoing structural configuration, when the corners of the keycap 130 are pressed, the ring structure 140 can effectively reduce the height difference between the corners of the keycap 130 and the center relative to the bottom plate 110 (or the circuit layer 120), so that the key device 101 has a better wobbling suppression effect when the keycap 130 is pressed.

As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, the circuit layer 120 has a plurality of conductive portions 121 (only one of which is shown in FIG. 2). Each set of conductive portions 121 includes four conductive portions 121, and the conductive portions 121 The structure can be formed by the upper and lower conductive points of the circuit layer 120, or a conductive electrode can be provided on the upper surface of the circuit layer 120, and a material for triggering the conductive electrode can be provided on the conductive portion 121 to trigger the conductive electrode after the button is pressed. The triggering principle of the conventional key structure is the same, and will not be repeated here. The outer edge 131 of the keycap 130 has four corners 131a. The number of the pressing portions 141 included in the ring structure 140 is also four, and the four corners 131a of the outer edge 131 of the keycap 130 are substantially aligned respectively, and aligned above the corresponding group of conducting portions 121 (that is, four The conducting portions 121 are also aligned with the four corners 131a) of the outer edge 131 of the keycap 130, respectively. In some embodiments, the orthographic projection P of the keycap 130 on the circuit layer 120 (as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 2) covers the aforementioned four conducting portions 121. In practical applications, the aforementioned four conducting portions 121 of the circuit layer 120 may correspond to a same key line (not shown). That is, when any of the conducting portions 121 is pressed by the corresponding pressing portion 141 to turn on the key circuit, the same key signal is triggered.

With the foregoing structural configuration, multiple sets of key switches (that is, a combination of the conducting portion 121 and the pressing portion 141) can be included in a single key device 101, so the difficulty of triggering the key signal can be effectively reduced, and the Success rate has increased significantly. Not only this, since the pressing portions 141 of the ring structure 140 are substantially aligned with the corners 131 a of the outer edge 131 of the keycap 130, respectively, the problem of heavy pressure of the conventional key device 101 can also be effectively solved.

In practical applications, the number of the pressing portions 141 of the ring structure 140 and the number of the conducting portions 121 of the circuit layer 120 are not limited to the outer edge of the keycap 130. The number of corners 131a of 131 is the same. In some embodiments, an additional key switch (ie, a combination of the conducting portion 121 and the pressing portion 141) may be further added, and the additional key switch may be substantially aligned with any position of the outer edge 131 of the key cap 130 (for example, The middle of one long side).

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, the pressing portion 141 is a columnar structure. Preferably, the pressing portion 140 is separated from the circuit layer 120 when the key cap 130 is not pressed, and is pressed when the key cap 130 is pressed. The conductive portion 121 is lowered and pressed down at a time, and each deformed portion 142 partially surrounds the corresponding pressing portion 141. That is, each deforming portion 142 does not completely surround the corresponding pressing portion 141. In this way, the wall thickness of the ring structure 140 can be effectively controlled, and in addition to saving material costs, the ring structure 140 can be prevented from occupying too much space under the keycap 130. Please also refer to FIG. 4, which is a partial enlarged view showing a portion shown by a dotted frame in FIG. 2. Preferably, the deformed portion 142 is a curved surface structure, and extends downward from the pressing portion 141. The bottom of a curved surface structure is connected to the adjacent connecting portion 143, and the curved surface structure of the deformed portion 142 can generate a segmental elastic feedback during the pressing stroke, so as to provide a clearer feel when the user presses. It should be particularly noted that, in the fourth figure, each pressing portion 141 is provided with two deformation portions 142 correspondingly. In actual implementation, each pressing portion 141 may be provided with one deformation portion 142 correspondingly or merge the two deformation portions 142. It is a deformation part, and the angle covered by the arc surface structure will affect the reset elastic force of the deformation part 142. Therefore, the angle covered by the arc surface structure can also be adjusted according to actual needs, and the invention is not limited thereto.

As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, the key device 101 further includes an auxiliary reset structure 150. The auxiliary resetting structure 150 is disposed between the circuit layer 120 and the keycap 130 and is located within the surrounding range of the ring structure 140. In this way, the key device 101 can further provide structural support to the center of the keycap 130 through the auxiliary resetting structure 150, and use the auxiliary resetting structure 150 and the ring structure 140 to share the force that the keycap 130 receives when pressed.

In this embodiment, the auxiliary resetting structure 150 is a rubber dome, but the invention is not limited thereto. In practical applications, the auxiliary resetting structure 150 may be any element (for example, a spring, a spring, etc.) having elasticity and having a function of resetting the keycap 130.

As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, the key device 101 further includes two linkage structures 160 (only one is labeled as an example in FIG. 2). The interlocking structure 160 is connected between the bottom plate 110 (through the hook 111 on the bottom plate 110) and the keycap 130, and is located within the surrounding range of the ring structure 140. The linkage structure 160 is configured to guide the movement of the keycap 130 toward or away from the bottom plate 110.

In this embodiment, the interlocking structure 160 is a scissors-type interlocking structure as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In practical applications, the interlocking structure 160 may also be replaced with other structures having similar functions (that is, driving the keycap 130 to move up and down with respect to the bottom plate 110), such as a V-shaped, A-shaped, or two parallel link structures.

In addition, in the present embodiment, since the key device 101 is a multiple key, the keycap 130 is substantially long and has an extending direction D (as shown in FIG. 2). The interlocking structures 160 are substantially arranged along the extending direction D, and the auxiliary resetting structure 150 is located between the two interlocking structures 160. Thereby, the two linkage structures 160 can more evenly guide the movement of the keycap 130 toward or away from the bottom plate 110, so that the two ends of the keycap 130 in the extending direction D are more consistent during lifting.

In some embodiments, the key device 101 may further include a light source (not shown), which is disposed between the base plate 110 and the key cap 130 and is positioned in parallel. Within the surrounding range of the ring structure 140. In some embodiments, the ring structure 140 is light-transmissive, thereby allowing light provided by the light source to pass through and emit outward, but the invention is not limited thereto.

In some other embodiments, at least a part of the ring structure 140 is transparent. For example, at least one of the plurality of pressing portions 141, the plurality of deforming portions 142, and the plurality of connecting portions 143 included in the ring structure 140 is transparent.

In some embodiments, the ring structure 140 includes a plurality of light-transmitting portions, and at least two of the light-transmitting portions have different colors. For example, two of the connecting portions 143 on the opposite sides included in the ring structure 140 are transparent and have different colors, so as to provide different light-emitting effects on the opposite sides of the key device 101.

From the above detailed description of the specific embodiments of the present invention, it can be clearly seen that in the key device and the keyboard of the present invention, the circuit layer has a plurality of conducting portions, and the ring structure includes a plurality of aligned portions above the conducting portions, respectively. Pressing section. By providing multiple sets of key switches (that is, a combination of a conducting portion and a pressing portion) in a single key device, the difficulty of triggering a key signal can be effectively reduced, and the success rate of triggering a key signal is greatly increased. In addition, by placing the ring structure substantially below the keycap along the outer edge of the keycap, the problem of heavy pressure of the conventional key device can also be effectively solved.

Although the present invention has been disclosed in the above embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make various modifications and retouches without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection of the present invention The scope shall be determined by the scope of the attached patent application.

Claims (18)

A key device includes: a base plate; a circuit layer disposed on the base plate and having a plurality of conducting portions; a keycap located above the circuit layer; and a ring structure substantially along a keypad of the keycap. The outer edge is disposed between the circuit layer and the keycap, and includes a plurality of pressing portions. The pressing portions abut the keycap and are respectively aligned above the conducting portions. The ring structure further includes: Deformation parts are respectively connected to the pressing parts; and a plurality of connection parts are disposed on the circuit layer and are connected between the deformation parts in a circle, wherein each of the connection parts is substantially along one of the keycaps. Part of the rim is set. The key device according to claim 1, wherein an outer edge of the keycap has a plurality of corners, and the pressing portions are substantially aligned with the corners, respectively. The key device according to claim 1, wherein an orthographic projection of the keycap on the circuit layer covers the conductive portions. The key device according to claim 1, wherein each of the deformed portions partially surrounds the corresponding pressing portion. The key device according to claim 1, wherein the deformed portions include a curved surface structure extending downward from the pressing portions. The key device according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the ring structure is transparent. The key device according to claim 1, wherein the ring structure includes a plurality of light-transmitting portions, and at least two of the light-transmitting portions have different colors. The key device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising an auxiliary reset structure disposed between the circuit layer and the keycap and located within a surrounding range of the ring structure. The key device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising at least one linkage structure connected between the bottom plate and the keycap, and located within a surrounding range of the ring structure. A keyboard includes: a base plate; a circuit layer disposed on the base plate and having a plurality of array conducting portions; and a plurality of key structures, wherein at least one of the key structures includes: a key cap located on the circuit Layer; and a ring structure, which is arranged between the circuit layer and the keycap substantially along an outer edge of the keycap, and includes a plurality of pressing portions, the pressing portions abutting the keycap, and Corresponding to the group of conducting portions is aligned above, wherein the ring structure further includes: a plurality of deformed portions respectively connected to the pressing portions; and a plurality of connecting portions disposed on the circuit layer and surroundingly connected to the deformed portions. In the meantime, each of the connecting portions is substantially disposed along a part of an outer edge of the keycap. The keyboard according to claim 10, wherein an outer edge of the keycap has a plurality of corners, and the pressing portions are substantially aligned with the corners, respectively. The keyboard according to claim 10, wherein an orthographic projection of the keycap on the circuit layer covers the corresponding group of conducting portions. The keyboard according to claim 10, wherein each of the deformed portions partially surrounds the corresponding pressing portion. The keyboard according to claim 10, wherein the deformed portions include a curved surface structure extending downward from the pressing portions. The keyboard according to claim 10, wherein at least a part of the ring structure is transparent. The keyboard according to claim 10, wherein the ring structure includes a plurality of light-transmitting portions, and at least two of the light-transmitting portions have different colors. The keyboard according to any one of claims 10 to 16, wherein each of the key structures further includes an auxiliary reset structure, which is disposed between the circuit layer and the corresponding keycap and is located in the corresponding ring structure. Within a circle. The keyboard according to any one of claims 10 to 16, wherein each of the key structures further includes at least one linkage structure, which is connected between the bottom plate and the corresponding keycap, and is located in the corresponding ring structure. Within a circle.