TWM620265U - Key module - Google Patents

Abstract

A key module configured to an electronic apparatus with a housing is provided. The key module includes a fixing base, a switch element, a stopper, and a key cap. The housing includes a first opening with a virtual axis. The fixing base is disposed in the housing, corresponding to the virtual axis, and has a first surface and a second surface. The switch element is disposed at the first surface. The key cap movably disposed at the second surface along the virtual axis has a skirt portion. The stopper is disposed between the key cap and the second surface, rotates about the virtual axis, and has a stopping portion. A movement restriction of the key cap along the axis is generated or removed, when a force is applied onto the stopper and the stopping portion rotates about the axis to contact with or leave away from the skirt portion.

Description

Button module

This case is about a button module.

Electronic products are frequently used, and convenient operation provided by input devices is also relatively important. Take the switch button as an example. For the beauty of the electronic product shell or the convenience of operation, the switch button is usually set near the edge of the shell, but therefore In addition, in order to have the uniform appearance of the keys of electronic products, the switch buttons and the general keys are arranged in the same keyboard module, and have the same shape and size, but also often cause false touches. The problem.

The key module of this case is suitable for electronic equipment. The electronic equipment has a housing, the housing has a first opening, and the first opening includes a virtual shaft. The key module includes a fixing seat, a switch element, a stopper, and a key cap. The fixing seat is disposed in the housing corresponding to the virtual shaft, and has a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other. The switch element is arranged on the first surface corresponding to the virtual axis. The keycap is movably arranged on the second surface along the virtual axis and has a skirt.

The stopper is rotatably arranged between the keycap and the second surface along the virtual axis, and has a stopper. When the stopper is driven by an external force and the stopper rotates along the virtual axis and contacts the skirt, the movement of the keycap along the virtual axis is restricted. When the stopper is driven by an external force and the stopper rotates along the virtual axis and moves away from the skirt, the movement of the keycap along the virtual axis is released from the restriction.

That is to say, the key module of this case is provided with a stopper between the keycap and the switch element, and the rotation position of the stopper relative to the group part is different to determine whether the movement path of the keycap is unobstructed. The locked state can prevent the user from touching it by mistake.

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present case. FIG. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a key module provided in the electronic device of FIG. 1. Fig. 3 is an exploded view of the button module of Fig. 2.

Please refer to FIGS. 1 to 3 at the same time. In one embodiment, the button module 100 is applicable to an electronic device 10, which is, for example, a smart mobile device or a portable computer, which is not limited here.

In one embodiment, the electronic device 10 includes a housing 151B, the housing 151B has a first opening 157, and the first opening 157 includes a virtual axis L1. The pressing portion 111 is exposed from the first opening 157 of the housing 151B for the user to press.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the key module 100 includes a fixing base 151A, a switch assembly 140, a stopper 120, a key cap 110 and a pair of elastic arms 112. The fixing seat 151A is disposed in the housing 151B along the virtual axis L1, and the fixing seat 151A has a first surface S1 and a second surface S2 opposite to each other. The switch assembly 140 is disposed on the first surface S1 along the virtual axis L1, and includes a frame 142 and a switch element 141. The switch element 141 is fixed in the fixing base 151A by the frame 142.

The stopper 120 is rotatably disposed between the keycap 110 and the second surface S2 along the virtual axis L1. In one embodiment, the stopper 120 has at least one stopper (take a plurality of stoppers 122 and 123 as an example), which are arranged at intervals around the virtual axis L1 and extend radially away from the virtual axis L1. In addition, the keycap 110 is movably disposed on the second surface S2 of the fixing base 151A, and moves against or away from the switch element 141 along the virtual axis L1. In one embodiment, the keycap 110 has at least one skirt portion 113 arranged at intervals around the virtual axis L1 and respectively extending along the virtual axis L1 toward the stopper 120.

When the stopper 120 is driven by an external force and the stopper 122 rotates along the virtual axis L1 and contacts the skirt 113, the movement of the keycap 110 along the virtual axis L1 is restricted. When the stopper 120 is driven by an external force and the stopper 122 rotates along the virtual axis L1 to move away from the skirt 113, the movement of the keycap 110 along the virtual axis L1 is released from the restriction.

FIG. 5 shows the key module in the electronic device from another perspective, which can clearly identify the corresponding relationship between the housing 151B and the fixing base 151A, while comparing with FIG. 3, the fixing base 151A is formed by a plurality of lock attachments 160 Assembled to the inner wall of the housing 151B.

In an embodiment, the skirt portion 113 extends from the pressing portion 111 toward the stopper 120, and the elastic arm 112 extends from the pressing portion 111 and is disposed in the housing 151B. In one embodiment, the elastic arm 112 is fixed to the inner wall of the housing 151B by heat fusion, so that after the user applies a force to the pressing portion 111, the elastic arm 112 is elastically deformed to allow the pressing portion 111 to be Reset smoothly.

Please refer to FIGS. 2 and 3 again. In one embodiment, the key module 100 further includes a driver 130, which is movably disposed on the housing 151B and pivotally connected to the stopper 120, so that the driver 130 drives the stopper 120 Rotate along the virtual axis L1.

In one embodiment, the driving member 130 includes a plate body 131 and a guiding protrusion 134. The plate body 131 is movably connected to the housing 151B. Please refer to FIG. It is movably coupled to the rail 159, and as shown in FIG. 3, the guiding protrusion 134 extends from the board 131 and is pivotally connected to the second opening 124 of the stopper 120 movably.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the driving member 130 further includes a shift lever 133, which extends from the plate 131 back to the guiding protrusion 134, and the shift lever 133 and the pressing portion 111 of the keycap 110 are exposed to the housing 151B. The same surface. Please refer to FIG. 1, when the shift lever 133 is installed in the electronic device 10, it can be exposed from the third opening 158 of the housing 151B, and the shift lever 133 protrudes from the housing 151B for the user to operate.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, in one embodiment, the plate 131 is located between the inner wall of the housing 151B and the fixing seat 151A, a part of the plate 131 exposes the housing 151B, and the plate 131 movably supports It leans on the plurality of linear ribs 155 of the fixing base 151A to reduce the friction between the fixing base 151A and the driving member 130.

Please refer to FIG. 3 again. In one embodiment, the stopper 120 further includes a ring portion 121. The aforementioned plurality of stop portions 122 and 123 extend radially from the ring portion 121 away from the virtual axis L1, wherein the stop portion 123 extends below the driving member 130 to facilitate the second opening 124 on the stopping portion 123 to be pivotally connected to the guiding protrusion 134 of the driving member 130 movably. In this way, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the shift lever 133 of the driving member 130 is moved and switched between the first position P1 and the second position P2, and the stop member 120 can be driven to rotate back and forth along the virtual axis L1.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, in one embodiment, the driving member 130 further has a pair of protrusions 132 extending from the plate body 131, which are coupled to the side walls of the rail 159, so as to reduce the gap between the plate body 131 and the rail 159 The contact area reduces friction.

In one embodiment, the driving member 130 further has a first stopping protrusion 135 extending from the plate body 131, which corresponds to the second stopping protrusion 159a at the end of the rail 159 as shown in FIG. 159 fell off.

Please refer to FIGS. 3 and 4 again. In addition to the aforementioned linear ribs 155, the fixing seat 151A of this embodiment also has an annular column 153 and an annular rib 154 surrounding the annular column 153. In one embodiment, the annular column 153 and the annular rib 154 are centered on the virtual axis L1, the switch element 141 is arranged in the annular column 153, and the ring portion 121 of the stopper 120 is sleeved on the annular column 153 and is connected to the stop The parts 122 and 123 are rotatably supported on the annular rib 154.

As shown in FIG. 4, in an embodiment, the fixing seat 151A further has at least one hook extending radially from the annular column 153 (here, two hooks 152 facing away from each other are taken as an example), and the stop The member 120 has at least one notch located inside the ring 121 (two notches 125 are indicated in FIG. 4 as an example, corresponding to the two hooks 152 described above). Here, the inner diameter of the notch 125 is larger than the outer diameter of the hook 152, and the outer diameter of the hook 152 is larger than the inner diameter of the ring 121.

In other words, as shown in FIG. 4 and compared with FIG. 2, it can be seen that through the cooperation of the hook 152 and the notch 125, during the process of assembling the stopper 120 to the fixing seat 151A, the notch 125 first corresponds to the hook 152 The ring portion 121 is sleeved on the ring column 153, and then rotated in the counterclockwise direction as shown in FIG. Fall off. The assembled stopper 120 can rotate between the convex post 156 and the linear convex rib 155 on the surface of the fixing base 151A. Moreover, after the fixing base 151A is assembled to the housing 151B, the stop portion 123 of the stopper 120 is further limited between the lock attachment 160 and the linear rib 155.

Please refer to FIGS. 6 and 7, where FIG. 7 corresponds to the released state shown in FIG. 2, and FIG. 6 shows the stop state, and the position of the driving member 130 (and the shift lever 133) is described by the guide protrusion 134 . Please refer to Figures 1, 2, 6 and 7 at the same time.

The skirt portion 113 and the stop portion 122 are arranged at equal central angles with respect to the virtual axis L1, and when the stop portion 122 is moved away from the skirt portion 113, the stop portion 122 and the skirt portion 113 are arranged alternately, as shown in FIG. As shown, it also means that the skirt 113 can smoothly pass through the interval of the stop 122 without interference. On the reference straight line L2 where the movement of the driving member 130 is located, the shift lever 133 at this time is located at the first position P1 ( If set to release position), the button can be pressed down.

When the user moves the lever 133 to move the driving member 130 from the first position P1 to the second position P2 (if set to the locked position), as shown in FIG. 6, the driving member 130 drives the stopper 120 relative to The virtual axis L1 rotates to move the stopper 122 to a position where it interferes with the skirt 113, so that the stopper 120 can prevent the keycap 110 from moving along the virtual axis L1, thereby preventing the key from being pressed down.

The key module of this case is provided with a stopper between the keycap and the switch element. The rotation position of the stopper relative to the group part is different to determine whether the movement path of the keycap is unobstructed. Therefore, in this case, the lock state of the control button is controlled. To avoid accidental touch by users.

10: Electronic equipment 100: Button module 110: keycap 111: Pressing part 112: Flexible arm 113: Skirt 120: stop 121: Ring 122, 123: Stop 124: second opening 125: gap 130: drive 131: Board 132: Convex 133: lever 134: Guiding convexity 135: The first stop convex 140: switch assembly 141: Switching element 142: Frame 151A: fixed seat 151B: Shell 152: Card Hook 153: Ring column 154: Annular rib 155: Linear convex rib 156: Convex Column 157: The first opening 158: third opening 159: Orbit 159a: second stop convex 160: lock accessory L1: virtual axis L2: Reference line P1: first position P2: second position S1: First side S2: Second side

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present case. FIG. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a key module provided in the electronic device of FIG. 1. Fig. 3 is an exploded view of the button module of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an assembly schematic diagram of the stopper and the fixing seat of Fig. 3. FIG. 5 shows the button module in the electronic device from another perspective. Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 illustrate the relative movement relationship between the keycap and the stopper in simple schematic diagrams.

100: Button module

111: Pressing part

112: Flexible arm

113: Skirt

122, 123: Stop

124: second opening

130: drive

131: Board

132: Convex

133: lever

135: The first stop convex

151A: fixed seat

156: Convex Column

160: lock accessory

L1: virtual axis

S1: First side

S2: Second side

Claims (8)

A button module is suitable for an electronic device. The electronic device has a housing with a first opening, and the first opening includes a virtual axis. The button module includes: A fixing seat corresponding to the virtual shaft is arranged in the housing and has a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other; A switch element is arranged on the first surface corresponding to the virtual axis; A keycap, movably arranged on the second surface along the virtual axis, and the keycap has a skirt; A stopper, rotatably disposed between the keycap and the second surface along the virtual axis, the stopper has a stopper; Wherein, when the stopper is driven by an external force and the stopper rotates along the virtual axis and contacts the skirt, the movement of the keycap along the virtual axis is restricted, and when the stopper is subjected to When the external force is driven and the stop portion rotates along the virtual axis and moves away from the skirt portion, the movement of the keycap along the virtual axis is released. The key module according to claim 1, wherein the keycap has a plurality of skirts, and the skirts are arranged at intervals around the virtual axis, the stopper has a plurality of stoppers, and the stoppers They are also arranged at intervals around the virtual axis. The key module according to claim 2, wherein the key cap includes a pressing portion and a pair of elastic arms, the pressing portion is exposed to the first opening, and the skirt portions extend from the pressing portion toward the stopper, The pair of elastic arms extend from the pressing portion and are arranged in the housing. The key module according to claim 1 further includes a driving member, and the driving member is pivotally connected to the stop member. The button module according to claim 4, wherein the driving member includes a plate body and a guiding protrusion, the stopper has a second opening, and the guiding protrusion extends from the plate body and is movably It is pivotally connected to the second opening. The button module according to claim 4, wherein the driving member includes a shift lever. The button module according to claim 1, wherein the fixing base has an annular column and at least one annular rib surrounding the annular column, the annular column and the annular rib are both centered on the virtual axis, and the switch The element is arranged in the annular column, and the stopper is sleeved outside the annular column. According to the key module of claim 1, the fixing seat has at least one hook, and the stopper has a ring portion and at least one notch located inside the ring portion, and the inner diameter of the notch is larger than the outer diameter of the hook The outer diameter of the hook is larger than the inner diameter of the ring.

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