TWM446365U - Luminous keyboard with luminous light bar - Google Patents

Description

Illuminated keyboard with illuminated light bar

The present invention relates to an illuminated keyboard, and more particularly to an illuminated keyboard that produces illumination light with a light strip.

Today's computer devices have been widely used in daily life, and as the times evolve, the timing of people using computer devices has also increased dramatically. In order to meet the ever-increasing demand for use, the computer device has gradually evolved from the original desktop computer to a notebook computer or a laptop computer that can be carried out with it, or a slim type computer that is thinned. (Ultrabook). Regardless of which type of computer device the user is using, it is necessary to input data or instructions to the computer through the keyboard device.

However, the time when people use computers is not as used in a single space or a single time zone. In low light or no light environment, users are not able to accurately tap the keyboard device without proper illumination. For the input of instructions. In order to provide a user with a clear view of the text symbols on the keyboard device in a low-light or no-light environment, a variety of keyboard devices with illumination functions have been available, such as U.S. Patent No. 6,284,988, US 6,199,996. And US Pat. No. 6,179,432, each of which discloses the use of the built-in illuminating sheet to project light outward so that the user can clearly judge the text symbol and can accurately input the command. However, in the above patents, the key cap, the elastic body and the linkage mechanism are generally made of a light-transmitting material, and the light emitted by the light-emitting sheet is generated by the light-emitting sheet, so that the keyboard device as a whole has a uniform backlight shape. However, since the environment in which the illuminated keyboard generates light is mostly in low illumination or no light environment, the light projection of the entire surface of the illuminated keyboard may easily lead to the brightness of the keyboard device itself being too strong to clearly identify the marked text symbols on the keyboard, and Strong light can also affect other people around you.

On the other hand, whether the illuminating sheet is a light guiding sheet or an electro illuminating sheet has a certain thickness, and regardless of which part of the illuminating keyboard is disposed, the overall thickness of the illuminating keyboard is increased, and the illuminating keyboard cannot be effectively used. Miniaturization, so the way to use the illuminating sheet to project light is difficult to implement in ultra-thin computers.

Furthermore, in order to overcome the problems caused by the illuminating sheet, there is also an embodiment in which a illuminating element is disposed between any two adjacent keycaps to project light with the illuminating element. However, in this embodiment, a plurality of holes are formed on the substrate or the circuit board of the illuminated keyboard to allow the light-emitting component to be placed therein. As disclosed in Taiwan Patent No. M393732, the position of the assembly hole needs to be integral with the illuminated keyboard. The structures are matched with each other, for example, the position or the wiring of the electric wires, etc., and therefore, the keyboard device is subject to many restrictions in the design process, and is disadvantageous for assembly.

In addition, there is also an embodiment in which light is transmitted by a light guiding strip, and the light projected by the light emitting element is received by the light guiding strip, and is transmitted to the key cap after being transmitted at an appropriate distance, so that the illuminated keyboard generates light, but the light is emitted. The effect depends on the light guiding efficiency of the light guiding strip. Generally, the light of the light guiding strip which is closer to the light emitting element is stronger, but as the distance of the light guiding strip from the light emitting element is farther, the light is gradually attenuated, so that the illuminated keyboard cannot be Produces a more uniform projection.

The main purpose of this creation is to solve the problem that the existing illuminated keyboard is limited by the illuminating sheet and cannot be thinned.
Another purpose of the present invention is to solve the problem that the existing illuminated keyboard can provide individual keycaps to illuminate light, but still cannot produce uniform illumination.
To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an illuminated keyboard having a lighted light bar, comprising a keyboard portion and at least one light strip. The keyboard portion includes a plurality of keycaps, a substrate carrying the keycaps, and a linkage mechanism connecting the keycaps and the substrate, the keyboard portion forming an active space between the keycaps and the substrate The key caps are caused to generate an up and down displacement stroke relative to the substrate, and the plurality of key caps of each parallel row are a set of keycaps. The light strip is disposed in the movable space and is located between any two adjacent sets of keycaps. The light strip includes a flexible circuit board, a plurality of light emitting diodes disposed on the flexible circuit board, and a cover. The protective layer of the light-emitting diodes causes the light generated by the light-emitting diodes to pass through the protective layer to the keycap.
In one embodiment, the keyboard portion includes a circuit board that generates an output command when the keycaps perform the up and down displacement stroke. Further, the circuit board is disposed on the substrate, and the light bar can be coupled to the circuit board.
In one embodiment, the keyboard portion includes a circuit board that generates an output command when the keycaps perform the up and down displacement stroke. Further, the circuit board is disposed under the substrate, and the light strip is bonded to the substrate.
In one embodiment, the keyboard portion includes a resilient member disposed in the linkage mechanism and providing a return force to the keycap.
In one embodiment, the protective adhesive layer can be replaced with a light guiding adhesive layer.
In one embodiment, the keyboard portion includes a light shielding sheet that engages the light strip with a light transmissive area and a non-transparent area. Further, the light transmissive area corresponds to each of the key caps.
Through the above technical solution, the characteristics of the illuminated keyboard with the illuminated light bar compared with the conventional illuminated keyboard are:
First, the illuminated keyboard can be specifically thinned. The present invention is provided with a light strip disposed in the active space and between the two sets of keycaps, instead of the light-emitting sheet previously disposed in the illuminated keyboard, so that the illuminated keyboard can be thinned without being limited by the thickness of the light-emitting sheet. Design.
Second, the assembly is easy. The light strip of the present invention can be directly disposed in the active space, and no other through holes need to be opened, so that the electrical circuit of the illuminated keyboard does not need to be reconfigured.
Third, produce a better light projection effect. The light-emitting light strip of the present invention has a plurality of light-emitting diodes, and the light is only required to transmit a short distance to the keycap, compared with the conventional embodiment in which the light-emitting diode is only disposed on both sides of the light-guide strip. The creation is not limited by the light guiding effect of the light guiding strip, but can produce a relatively uniform light projection effect.

The detailed description and technical content of this creation are as follows:

Please refer to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 , which are schematic exploded views of a partial keyboard structure of an embodiment of an illuminated keyboard with an illuminated light bar, a schematic top view and an enlarged schematic view of a portion of the keyboard structure. As shown in the figure, the present invention has a light strip. The illuminated keyboard includes a keyboard portion 10 and at least one light strip 20. The keyboard portion 10 includes a plurality of key caps 11 , a substrate 12 carrying the key caps 11 , and a linkage mechanism 13 connecting the key caps 11 and the substrate 12 , and the keyboard portion 10 is connected to the keyboard mechanism 10 . A movable space 14 is formed between the keycaps 11 and the substrate 12, and the linkage mechanism 13 can cause the keycaps 11 to generate an up and down displacement stroke relative to the substrate 12 in the movable space 14. A plurality of keycaps 11 in a parallel row are a keycap assembly A1. Further, the keyboard portion 10 can include a resilient member 15 disposed in the linkage mechanism 13. The elastic component 15 is externally biased by the linkage mechanism 13 When the lower displacement is performed, the key cap 11 is pressed at the same time, and when the external force disappears, a returning force is provided to the keycap 11, so that the keycap 11 drives the linkage mechanism 13 to be displaced upward by the returning force. The light bar 20 is disposed in the movable space 14 and located between any two adjacent keycap sets. The so-called two adjacent keycap sets are as shown in FIG. 2, the keycap set A1 and the keycap set A2. The light bar 20 includes a flexible circuit board 21, a plurality of light emitting diodes 22 disposed on the flexible circuit board 21, and a protective adhesive layer 23 covering the light emitting diodes 22. The light-emitting strips 20 are energized to cause the light-emitting diodes 22 to generate light, and the light passes through the protective layer 23 to the keycap 11 to cause the keycaps 11 to emit light. In addition, the protective layer 23 of the light strip 20 of the present invention can be further replaced by a light guiding layer, so that the light projected by the light emitting diodes 22 can further produce better light projection due to the light guiding layer. effect.

The keyboard unit 10 can further include a circuit board 16 for generating an output command when the keycap 11 performs an up-and-down displacement stroke, and the circuit board 16 has two orientations commonly used in the industry. As shown in FIG. 3, the circuit board 16 is disposed on the substrate 12, and the other circuit board 16 is disposed under the substrate 12, and FIG. 4 is a illuminating light strip. A schematic diagram of a partial keyboard structure of another embodiment of the illuminated keyboard. When the circuit board 16 is disposed above the substrate 12, the light bar 20 can be coupled to the circuit board 16, and the light generated by the light bar 20 is directly directed to the key caps 11, if the circuit When the board 16 is disposed under the substrate 12, the light strip 20 can be bonded to the board 12, and the light of the strip 20 can be directly directed to the key caps 11. However, the above two implementations are mature and well-known technologies, and other components are not described here.

Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 , the keyboard portion 10 of the present invention may further include a light shielding sheet 17 for engaging the light strip 20 . More specifically, the light shielding sheet 17 is disposed above the light strip 20 . The way can be superimposed or fitted. The light shielding sheet 17 further has a light transmitting region 171 and a non-light transmitting region 172. When the light emitting strip 20 is energized to generate light, the light can only be penetrated by the light transmitting region 171 to illuminate the key caps 11. And further, the light-transmitting region 171 corresponds to each of the keycaps 11, so that the light can only illuminate the circumference of the keycaps 11. Moreover, the light shielding sheet 17 can be made of a hard or flexible opaque material.

In summary, the illuminating keyboard with the illuminating light bar is disposed in an active space between the keycap and a substrate, and is further disposed between any two adjacent keycap sets. The light-emitting light bar is provided with a plurality of light-emitting diodes, so that the light-emitting diodes are energized to generate light and are projected onto the key cap, so that the light-emitting keyboard generates light. The present invention utilizes the foregoing architecture, the illuminating keyboard portion does not need to be configured with a whole illuminating sheet, and the thickness of the illuminating keyboard can be made thinner, and the setting of the illuminating light strip is extremely simple, and the position of the opening and the electric circuit are not required to be made. The complicated layout adjustment, and the light bar has a plurality of light-emitting diodes, so that the light that can be projected by the light bar is more uniform than the light-emitting keyboard previously implemented by the light bar. Therefore, this creation is highly progressive and meets the requirements for applying for a new type of patent. If the application is made in accordance with the law, the Bureau will grant the patent as soon as possible.

The above description has been made in detail, but the above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and it is not possible to limit the scope of the creation of the creation, that is, the equality of the patent application scope according to the present creation. Changes and modifications are still covered by the patents of this creation.

10‧‧‧ Keyboard Department

11‧‧‧Key Cap

12‧‧‧Substrate

13‧‧‧ linkage agency

14‧‧‧Event space

15‧‧‧Flexible components

16‧‧‧ boards

17‧‧‧shading film

171‧‧‧Lighting area

172‧‧‧non-transparent area

20‧‧‧Light strips

21‧‧‧Flexible circuit board

22‧‧‧Lighting diode

23‧‧‧Protective layer

A1‧‧‧ keycap collection

A2‧‧‧ keycap collection

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a portion of a keyboard structure of an embodiment of an illuminated keyboard with an illuminated light bar.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view showing an embodiment of an illuminated keyboard with an illuminated light bar.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged schematic view showing a part of a keyboard structure of an embodiment of an illuminated keyboard with an illuminated light bar.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged schematic view showing a portion of a keyboard structure of another embodiment of an illuminated keyboard with an illuminated light bar.

11‧‧‧Key Cap

12‧‧‧Substrate

13‧‧‧ linkage agency

14‧‧‧Event space

15‧‧‧Flexible components

16‧‧‧ boards

17‧‧‧shading film

171‧‧‧Lighting area

172‧‧‧non-transparent area

20‧‧‧Light strips

21‧‧‧Flexible circuit board

22‧‧‧Lighting diode

23‧‧‧Protective layer

Claims (10)

An illuminated keyboard with a lighted light bar, comprising:
a keyboard portion comprising a plurality of keycaps, a substrate carrying the keycaps, and a plurality of linkage mechanisms connecting the keycaps and the substrate, the keyboard portion forming an activity between the keycaps and the substrate The space causes the key caps to generate an up and down displacement stroke relative to the substrate, and the plurality of key caps of each parallel column are a set of keycaps;
At least one light-emitting strip disposed in the movable space and located between any two adjacent sets of keycaps, the light-emitting strip includes a flexible circuit board, a plurality of light-emitting diodes disposed on the flexible circuit board, and A protective layer covering the light-emitting diodes causes the light generated by the light-emitting diodes to penetrate the protective layer to the keycap. The illuminating keyboard with the illuminating light bar of claim 1, wherein the keyboard portion includes a circuit board that generates an output command when the key cap performs the up and down displacement stroke. The illuminating keyboard with the illuminating light bar of claim 2, wherein the circuit board is disposed on the substrate. The illuminating keyboard with a illuminating light strip according to claim 3, wherein the illuminating light strip is joined to the circuit board. The illuminating keyboard with a illuminating light strip according to claim 2, wherein the circuit board is disposed under the substrate. The illuminating keyboard with a illuminating light strip according to claim 5, wherein the illuminating light strip is bonded to the substrate. The illuminating keyboard with a illuminating light strip according to claim 1, wherein the keyboard portion comprises a resilient member disposed in the linkage mechanism and providing a restoring force to the keycap. The illuminating keyboard with a illuminating light strip according to claim 1, wherein the protective adhesive layer can be replaced with a light guiding adhesive layer. The illuminating keyboard with a illuminating light strip according to the first, third, and fifth aspects of the invention, wherein the keyboard portion includes a light shielding sheet that has a light-transmitting region and a non-light-transmitting region. The illuminating keyboard with a illuminating light bar according to claim 9, wherein the light transmitting area corresponds to each of the key caps.