1. Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relates to electronic devices, and more particularly to a key assembly of an electronic device.
2. Description of Related Art
Electronic devices, such as personal digital assistants (PDA), mobile phones, set-top boxes, for example, often utilize a plurality of keys to control one or more operations thereof. One such frequently used electronic device includes a plurality of switches positioned on a daughterboard to control the one or more operations of the electronic device, a plurality of keys each aligning with the corresponding switch and including a projection projecting from a central bottom thereof to open or close the corresponding switch, and a motherboard electronically connecting to the daughterboard. However production cost of the electronic device is increased by the daughterboard and the connection between the motherboard and the daughterboard, as well as efforts toward minimizing the electronic device profile being compromised.
Therefore, a need exists in the industry to overcome the described limitations.
The enclosure 20 accommodates electronic elements, such as printed circuit boards (PCBs), batteries, a central processing unit (CPU), for example. Although the illustrated embodiment shows the enclosure 20 being substantially rectangular, it will be understood that other configurations may be utilized with equal applicability. The enclosure 20 includes a panel 22 extending along a side of the electronic device 100 to protect the electronic device 100 at the side. The panel 22 defines an opening 24 to receive the key assembly 40.
The circuit board 30 is positioned in the enclosure 20 and spaced from the panel 22. A plurality of switches 32 is positioned on the circuit board 30 to control one or more operations of the electronic device 100. In the illustrated embodiment, the circuit board 30 is a motherboard.
The plurality of key bodies 50 protrude out from the opening 24 of the panel 22 to an outside of the electronic device 100 and move toward the switches 32 to activate the plurality of switches 32. The plurality of key bodies 50 have four navigational keys, which in one embodiment, may be a left, right, up, and down arrow key 41, 42, 43, 44, and an OK key 45. The four navigation keys bound a circle, in a center of which a circular receiving hole 46 is defined, in which the OK key 45 is received.
Alternatively, the receiving hole 46 may be rectangular. The four navigation keys may further bound an ellipse, rectangle, or other shape.
A gap 48 is defined between each two adjacent navigation keys and between each of the four navigation keys and the OK key 45, preventing any key from interfering with one or more other keys resulting in an erroneous operation of the electronic device 100.
The navigation keys and the OK key 45 have the same configuration. Each of the plurality of key bodies 50 includes a pressing portion 52, a resilient arm 54, a contact portion 56 to open or close the corresponding switch 32, and a fixing portion 58 positioned at a distal end of the arm 54. In the illustrated embodiment, the fixing portion 58 can be attached to the supporting frame 60 by screws, rivets, or other fastening methods known in the art.
The arm 54 is vertically connected to the pressing portion 52 and the contact portion 56. The pressing portion 52 protrudes out from the opening 24 of the panel 22 to the outside of the electronic device 100 and can move relative to the panel 22. Each of the plurality of switches 32 positioned on the circuit board 30 is positioned under a distal end of a corresponding contact portion 56. A central line 520 of the pressing portion is perpendicular to a central line 320 of a corresponding switch 32 (referring to
In the illustrated embodiment, the arm and the contact portion of the OK key 45 bound a first accommodating space to receive the arm and the contact portion of the left arrow key 41. The arm and the contact portion of the up arrow key 43 bound a second accommodating space to receive the arms and the contact portions of the left arrow key 41, the down arrow key 44, the right arrow key 42, and the OK key 45. The left arrow key 41 and right arrow key 42 are equidistant from the OK key 45. The pressing portions of the left, right, up, and down arrow keys 41, 42, 43, 44 surround the pressing portion of the OK key 45.
Because the plurality of switches 32 is directly positioned on the motherboard of the electronic device 100, the electronic device 100 requires no additional circuit board, with production cost and profile of the electronic device 100 being significantly minimized.
While an embodiment of the present disclosure has been described, it should be understood that it has been presented by way of example only and not by way of limitation. Thus the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2008 1 0304343 | Sep 2008 | CN | national |
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6555769 | Stefura | Apr 2003 | B2 |
6570111 | Nakagawa et al. | May 2003 | B2 |
7019237 | Hong | Mar 2006 | B2 |
7189932 | Kim | Mar 2007 | B2 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20100051435 A1 | Mar 2010 | US |