TWM469606U - Back light apparatus used in light-emitting keyboard - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention discloses a back light apparatus used in a light-emitting keyboard. The back light apparatus of the invention includes a light-guiding plate, an oil layer, a white light source and a reflective structure. The oil layer is printed on a front surface or a back surface of the light-guiding plate, and has a color. The white light source is disposed adjacent to the light-guiding plate, and emits a white light into the light-guiding plate which guides the white light. A portion of the white light illuminates the oil layer in a predetermined angle, and is transformed into a color light and reflected by the oil layer. The reflective structure is disposed on the back surface of the light-guiding plate to guide the white light and the color light toward the front surface from which the white light and color light.

Description

Backlight device for illuminated keyboard

The present invention relates to a backlight device for an illuminated keyboard, and more particularly to a backlight device that discolors and mixes original incident light with a simple structure.

As the user's use requirements increase, the keyboard is no longer merely providing a simple input peripheral device, and the function and aesthetics of the auxiliary input are also required. At present, a keyboard with a backlight is provided on the market, which allows the user to clearly understand the position of the button under the backlight, without input errors or sensory aesthetics.

There are also keyboards that provide multi-color backlights in the market. In addition to the above functions, there are also functions for providing specific buttons, which further enhances the auxiliary input function.

Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the prior art illuminated keyboard 1. The illuminated keyboard 1 includes a light guide plate 16, a bottom plate 13, a button 14, an elastic body 15, a membrane switch layer 19, a light reflecting sheet 17, and a light shielding sheet 18. The elastomer 15 includes an actuating column 150. When the user presses the button 14, the elastic body 15 is pressed by the button 14. Further, the actuating column 150 presses the membrane switch layer 19 to turn on the circuit in the membrane switch layer 19, and the illuminated keyboard 1 sends a specific signal corresponding to the button 14 to the host computer. When the user releases the button 14, the button 14 can be returned to the original position by the elastic restoring force of the elastic body 15. In addition, the bottom plate 13 is used to support the button 14 and includes a light transmitting area directly below the button 14. 130.

The light shielding sheet 18 has a light transmitting portion 180, and the different light transmitting portions 180 are respectively painted in different colors. After the light emitted by the light source enters the light guide plate 16, part of the light is reflected back to the light guide plate 16 by the reflection sheet 17, and part of the light is conducted inside the light guide plate 16. Thereafter, the light is led out by the light guide plate 16 to generate different color lights through the light shielding sheet 18, and the different color lights pass through the light transmitting region 130 of the bottom plate 13 and finally to the button 14. Further, the illuminated keyboard 1 can emit different colors of light. As is clear from Fig. 1, this manner must be achieved with additional components (i.e., the visor 18) to produce a backlight of multiple colors. However, the more assembly parts increase the part cost, the more assembly errors and the more defective ratios. As the thickness of the light guide plate of the backlight device is further reduced, the backlight device has no space for using the light shielding sheet.

In addition, a plurality of light-emitting diodes emitting different colors of light are also used to provide a multi-color backlight. However, this approach is complex and costly.

At present, no simple structure has been seen, and a backlight device capable of providing light of a different color from the original incident light has been developed.

Therefore, one technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a backlight device for an illuminated keyboard, and the backlight device of the present invention is a backlight device that discolors and mixes the original incident light with a simple structure to provide the original incident. The light of different colors of light even provides a different color display of the partition.

A backlight device of a preferred embodiment of the present invention is for use in an illuminated keyboard. The backlight device of the present invention comprises a light guide plate, a first ink layer, a white light source and a reflective structure. The light guide plate has a front side and a back side. The first ink layer is printed on the front or back side of the light guide plate and has a first color. The white light source is disposed adjacent to the light guide plate. The white light source emits white light, is incident on the light guide plate and is conducted inside the light guide plate. A portion of the white light illuminates the first ink layer at a first predetermined angle, and the first ink layer is converted into a first color light and reflected. reflection The structure is disposed on the back surface of the light guide plate. The reflective structure is configured to emit white light that is directed toward the reflective structure and the front surface of the first color light guide light guide plate, and then from the front surface of the light guide plate.

In one embodiment, the first ink layer is a strip of ink and a white light source.

Different from the prior art, the backlight device of the present invention can provide light of different colors from the original incident light with a simple structure, and even display different colors of light, which is easy to manufacture, and is designed to easily change the light of a desired color.

The advantages and spirit of the present invention can be further understood by the following embodiments and the drawings.

1‧‧‧ illuminated keyboard

13‧‧‧floor

130‧‧‧Light transmission area

14‧‧‧ button

15‧‧‧ Elastomers

150‧‧‧moving column

16‧‧‧Light guide

17‧‧‧Reflecting film

18‧‧‧shading film

180‧‧‧Transmission Department

19‧‧‧membrane switch layer

2‧‧‧Backlight

20‧‧‧Light guide

202‧‧‧light side

204‧‧‧ positive

206‧‧‧Back

22‧‧‧White light source

24‧‧‧First ink layer

26‧‧‧Reflective structure

28‧‧‧Second ink layer

29‧‧‧Reflecting film

3‧‧‧Lighting keyboard

30‧‧‧floor

302‧‧‧First light transmission area

32‧‧‧ Membrane switch

322‧‧‧Upper film circuit

324‧‧‧ Lower film circuit

326‧‧‧Isolated components

34‧‧‧Key Cap

342‧‧‧Second light transmission area

36‧‧‧Support structure

38‧‧‧Elastic actuator

1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a prior art illuminated keyboard.

2 is a top plan view of a backlight device in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the backlight device of FIG. 2 taken along line A-A and a partial cross-sectional view of the illuminated keyboard thereon.

Please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3. 2 is a top view schematically showing a backlight device 2 of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The backlight device 2 of the present invention is used for the illuminated keyboard 3. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the backlight device 2 of FIG. 2 taken along line A-A, and a partial cross-sectional view of the illuminated keyboard 3 thereon is also shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the backlight device 2 of the present invention includes a light guide plate 20, a first ink layer 24, a white light source 22, and a reflective structure 26. guide The light panel 20 has a light incident side 202, a front side 204, and a back side 206. The light incident side 202 serves as a light incident surface for the white light source 22 to emit light. The front surface 204 of the light guide plate 20 shown in FIG. 2 is substantially rectangular, but in practice, the shape of the light guide plate 20 is not limited to a rectangle.

In one embodiment, the light guide plate 20 can be made of acrylic, silicone, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) or other commercial light-guided polymeric materials. The layer thickness of the light guide plate 20 can be determined as needed, and is not particularly limited. For example, when applied to a thin type of light-emitting button, the thickness of the light guide plate 20 ranges from about 0.125 mm to 0.25 mm.

The first ink layer 24 is printed on the front side 204 or the back side 206 of the light guide plate 20 and has a first color. In the example shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first ink layer 24 is printed on the front surface 204 of the light guide plate 20.

The white light source 22 is disposed adjacent to the light guide plate 20, that is, adjacent to the light incident side 202. The white light source 22 may be a light-emitting diode (LED) device, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The white light source 22 can also be other light emitting devices, such as a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL).

The white light source 22 is for emitting white light, is incident on the light guide plate 20, and is conducted inside the light guide plate 20. As shown in FIG. 3, the white light source 22 is disposed obliquely adjacent to the light side 202 such that a portion of the white light illuminates the first ink layer 24 at a first predetermined angle, and the first ink layer 24 is converted into a first color light and reflection.

The reflective structure 26 is disposed on the back surface 206 of the light guide plate 20. The reflective structure 26 is configured to emit white light that is directed toward the reflective structure 26 and the front surface 204 of the first color light guide light guide 20 from the front surface 204 of the light guide plate 20 .

In a specific embodiment, the reflective structure 26 may be formed by printing a dot-colored (for example, white) ink on the back surface 206, or may be formed by a microreactor or a light-guide plate 20 by a coating method. . However, the formation of the reflective structure 26 is not limited to the above process.

The illuminated keyboard 3 of the present invention includes a plurality of buttons mounted on the backlight unit 2. In Fig. 3, only one button is shown as a representative. The illuminated keyboard 3 of the present invention includes a bottom plate 30, a membrane switch 32, a keycap 34, a support structure 36, and an elastic actuator 38. The support structure 36 is mounted on the bottom plate 30, and the bottom plate 30 is formed with a structure for assisting the fixing of the support structure 36. The key cap 34 is mounted on the support structure 36. The support structure 36 supports the keycap 34 for vertical movement relative to the membrane switch 32. As shown in FIG. 3, the support structure 36 can be a scissors structure, but is not limited thereto.

The membrane switch 32 is composed of an upper membrane circuit 322 and a lower membrane circuit 324, and the upper membrane circuit 322 is separated from the lower membrane circuit 324 by a partition member 326. The elastic actuator 38 is disposed on the upper film circuit 322. As shown in FIG. 3, the elastic actuator 38 may be a resilient dome, but is not limited thereto. An external force is applied to the keycap 34 to move the keycap 34 toward the upper film circuit 322. The resilient actuator 38 deforms as the keycap 34 moves to actuate the upper film circuit 322 to deform toward the lower film circuit 324, thereby opening the membrane switch 32.

The bottom plate 30 has a first light transmitting region 302, and the key cap 34 has a second light transmitting region 342 thereon. In the actual product design, the first light transmitting region 302 can be a through hole. When the light is led out from the light guide plate 20, the first light transmitting region 302, the membrane switch 32, the elastic actuator 38, and the second light transmitting region 342 of the key cap 34 are sequentially passed through. The resilient actuator 38 can be constructed of a transparent or translucent material such that light can pass directly through the resilient actuator 38 to the second light transmissive region 342 of the keycap 34, or the light can be diffused by the elastic actuator 38. The light around the bright key cap 34 and the light passing through the second light transmitting area 342 are softened. If the second light transmitting region 342 corresponds to a symbol or a letter on the key cap 34, the symbol or letter region represented by the second light transmitting region 342 is allowed. Therefore, when the ambient light source is weak, the illuminated keyboard 3 allows different keys to be easily distinguished, and is convenient for the user to input data. It should be noted that if the bottom plate 30 is made of a light transmissive material, the first light transmitting region 302 may not be in the form of a through hole. The area of the bottom plate 30 outside the first light transmitting area 302 is also allowed Designed by a slight light to provide a backlighting effect relative to the first light transmissive region 302.

In one embodiment, the first ink layer 24 is a strip of ink and is adjacent to the white light source 22, as shown in FIG. In one example, the first ink layer 24 is a strip of red ink, and the light that is directed toward the first light transmitting region 302 and the second light transmitting region 342 is pink light or red light. The backlight device 2 of the present invention has a relatively simple structure. If the color of the light incident on the first light-transmissive region 302 and the second light-transmitting region 342 is changed in design, it is only necessary to change the color of the first ink layer 24 in manufacturing.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the backlight device 2 of the present invention further includes a reflection sheet 29. The reflective sheet 29 is attached to the back surface 206 of the light guide plate 20 to assist in reflecting white light and first color light.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the backlight device 2 of the present invention further includes a second ink layer 28. The second ink layer 28 is printed on the front side 204 or the back side 206 of the light guide plate 20 and has a second color. In the example shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the second ink layer 28 is printed on the front surface 204 of the light guide plate 20. The second ink 28 corresponds to another button (not shown in FIG. 3) mounted on the backlight device 2.

Another portion of the white light illuminates the second ink layer 28 at a second predetermined angle, and the second ink layer 28 is converted into a second color light and reflected. The corresponding reflective structure 26 also directs the second color light guiding the reflective structure 26 to the front side 204 of the light guide plate 20, and then exits from the front side 204 and then to the button corresponding to the second ink layer 28.

In a specific embodiment, the color of the second ink layer 28 is different from that of the first ink layer 24, so that the backlight device 2 can display different colors of light in different regions of the illuminated keyboard 3, and the more color regions of different colors, the overall Better color and visual effects. Of course, if only monochromatic light needs to be present, the color of the second ink layer 28 is the same as the color of the first ink layer 24.

In one embodiment, the second ink layer 28 is a strip of ink and is substantially parallel to the light side 202, as shown in FIG.

In summary, it can be fully understood that the backlight device of the present invention has a simple structure and can provide light of a different color from the original incident light. The backlight device of the present invention can even make the illuminated keyboard display different color lights in the partition, and exhibit multi-color visual effects. The backlight of the present invention is easy to manufacture and is designed to easily change the light of a desired color.

The features and spirit of the present invention are more clearly described in the above detailed description of the preferred embodiments, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. On the contrary, the purpose is to cover all kinds of changes and equivalence arrangements within the scope of the patent application to which the present invention is intended. Therefore, the scope of the patent application filed by this creator should be interpreted broadly based on the above description so that it covers all possible changes and equivalent arrangements.

2‧‧‧Backlight

20‧‧‧Light guide

202‧‧‧light side

204‧‧‧ positive

206‧‧‧Back

22‧‧‧White light source

24‧‧‧First ink layer

26‧‧‧Reflective structure

28‧‧‧Second ink layer

29‧‧‧Reflecting film

3‧‧‧Lighting keyboard

30‧‧‧floor

302‧‧‧First light transmission area

32‧‧‧ Membrane switch

322‧‧‧Upper film circuit

324‧‧‧ Lower film circuit

326‧‧‧Isolated components

34‧‧‧Key Cap

342‧‧‧Second light transmission area

36‧‧‧Support structure

38‧‧‧Elastic actuator

Claims (10)

A backlight device for an illuminated keyboard, comprising: a light guide plate having a front surface and a back surface; a first ink layer printed on the light guide plate and having a first color; a white light source is disposed Adjacent to the light guide plate, for emitting a white light, incident on the light guide plate and conducting in the light guide plate, wherein a portion of the white light illuminates the first ink layer at a first predetermined angle from the first ink layer Converting into a first color light and reflecting; and a reflecting structure disposed on the back surface for guiding the white light and the first color light directed to the reflective structure to the front surface, and then ejecting from the front surface. The backlight device for an illuminated keyboard according to claim 1, wherein the first ink layer is printed on the front surface. The backlight device for an illuminated keyboard according to claim 1, wherein the first ink layer is printed on the back surface. The backlight device for an illuminated keyboard according to claim 1, wherein the first ink layer is a strip of ink and is adjacent to the white light source. The backlight device for an illuminated keyboard according to claim 1, further comprising a reflective sheet attached to the back surface for assisting in reflecting the white light and the first color light. The backlight device for an illuminated keyboard according to claim 1, further comprising a second ink layer printed on the front surface and having a second color, wherein the other portion of the white light is a second predetermined Irradiating the second oil The ink layer is converted into a second color light by the second ink layer and reflected, and the reflective structure also guides the second color light directed to the reflective structure to the front surface, and then exits from the front surface. The backlight device for an illuminated keyboard according to claim 6, wherein the second ink layer is a strip of ink layer. The backlight device for an illuminated keyboard according to claim 1, further comprising a second ink layer printed on the back surface and having a second color, wherein the other portion of the white light is a second predetermined The second ink layer is irradiated at an angle, and the second ink layer is converted into a second color light and reflected. The reflective structure also directs the second color light directed to the reflective structure to the front surface, and then exits from the front surface. A backlight device for an illuminated keyboard according to claim 8, wherein the second ink layer is a strip of ink. The backlight device for an illuminated keyboard according to claim 1, wherein the reflective structure is printed on the back surface by an ink printing process.