This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 201810073462.4 filed on Jan. 25, 2018, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.
The subject matter herein generally relates to a key structure of an electronic device.
Generally, buttons of electronic devices may lose sensitivity or function over a long period of use.
Implementations of the present disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the attached figures.
It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the different figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments described herein can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, methods, procedures and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the related relevant feature being described. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and the proportions of certain parts may be exaggerated to better illustrate details and features. The description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein.
Several definitions that apply throughout this disclosure will now be presented.
The term “coupled” is defined as connected, whether directly or indirectly through intervening components, and is not necessarily limited to physical connections. The connection can be such that the objects are permanently connected or releasably connected. The term “substantially” is defined to be essentially conforming to the particular dimension, shape, or other word that “substantially” modifies, such that the component need not be exact. For example, “substantially cylindrical” means that the object resembles a cylinder, but can have one or more deviations from a true cylinder. The term “comprising” means “including, but not necessarily limited to”; it specifically indicates open-ended inclusion or membership in a so-described combination, group, series and the like.
Referring to
The housing 10 defines at least one opening 101. The key structure 30 partially protrudes out of the housing 10 through the opening 101. Thus, the key structure 30 may be easily operated by a user.
Referring to
The connecting portion 301 is located on the housing 10. In at least one embodiment, the connecting portion 301 includes two electrode plates 3011 and a filler 3013. The two electrode plates 3011 are oppositely arranged and substantially parallel to each other. The two electrode plates 3011 cooperatively define an accommodating space 3015. The accommodating space 3015 is partially or completely filled in by the filler 3013. The filler 3013 may be a solid dielectric material, such as diamond, sulphur, or polyvinyl chloride, for example. In another embodiment, the filler 3013 may be air or other gaseous material.
The key portion 303 may move relative to the connecting portion 301. In at least one embodiment, the key portion 303 includes a pressing portion 302 and a key column 304. The pressing portion 302 partially protrudes out of the housing 10, through the opening 101, to be pressed by a user to operate the key structure 30. The pressing portion 302 includes an upper surface 3021 and a lower surface 3022. The lower surface 3022 is opposite from the upper surface 3021. In detail, the upper surface 3021 includes a pressing area 3023 (shown in
The upper surface 3021 further includes an insulating layer 3024. The insulating layer 3024 covers the upper surface 3021 and prevents disturbance from adjacent key structures 30. The insulating layer 3024 also covers the pressing area 3023.
In at least one embodiment, the pressing portion 302 is made of substantially elastic material, such as rubber. In this way, when the pressing portion 302 is released after being pressed, the pressing portion 302 can automatically restore.
The key column 304 is located on the lower surface 3022 and corresponds to the accommodating space 3015. When the pressing portion 302 is pressed, the pressing portion 302 drives the key column 304 to move toward the accommodating space 3015. When the pressing portion 302 is released, the key column 304 moves away from the accommodating space 3015.
Referring again to
Referring again to
Referring to
When the pressing portion 302 is not pressed, the accommodating space 3015 accommodates air and the filler 3013 therein. Thus, a capacitance between the two electrode plates 3011 is expressed by equation (1):
wherein “k” is the electrostatic constant equal to 9.0*109 Nm2/C2.
Referring to
Thus, a change in capacitance □C1 by pressing the pressing portion 302 is expressed by equation (3):
According to equation (3), when the pressing portion 302 is pressed, the pressing portion 302 drives the key column 304 to move toward the connecting portion 301, and the key column 304 is accommodated within the portion of the accommodating space 3015 not occupied by the filler 3013, thereby changing the capacitance between the electrode plates 3011. The change in capacitance is output by the signal generating device 70 to generate a corresponding key signal.
Furthermore, because of differences in mechanical properties of materials, the key column 304 and the filler 3013 of different key structures 30 may be made of different materials, and a size of the power source 50 may be different to generate different key signals to achieve different functions of the key structures 30.
Referring to
When the pressing portion 302 is not pressed, a capacitance C2 between the electrode plates 3011 is represented by formula (4):
Referring to
Thus, a change in capacitance □C2 by pressing the pressing portion 302 is expressed by equation (6):
According to equation (6), when the pressing portion 302 is pressed, the pressing portion 302 drives the key column 304 to move toward the connecting portion 301, and the key column 304 is accommodated within the portion of the accommodating space 3015 previously occupied by air, thereby changing the capacitance between the electrode plates 3011. The change in capacitance is output by the signal generating device 70 to generate a corresponding key signal.
Furthermore, as shown in equation (6), the distance D between the electrode plates 3011 may be changed, the key column 304 may be made of a material having a different dielectric constant, a height of the accommodating space 3015 occupied by air may be changed (and a corresponding height of the key column 304 may be changed) to change the change in capacitance between the electrode plates 3011, thereby generating different key signals to achieve different functions of the key structures 30.
Referring to
When the pressing portion 302 is not pressed, the accommodating space 3015 only accommodates the filler 3013, and a capacitance between the dielectric plates 3011 is expressed by formula (7):
Referring to
Thus, a change in capacitance □C3 by pressing the pressing portion 302 is expressed by equation (9):
According to equation (9), when the pressing portion 302 is pressed, the key column 304 is moved toward the filler 3013 until the key column 304 presses against the filler 3013. Because the filler 3013 completely fills in the accommodating space 3015, the key column 304 displaces a portion of the filler 3013 within the accommodating space 3015, thereby deforming the filler 3013. Thus, the capacitance between the electrode plates 3011 is changed. The change in capacitance between the electrode plates 3011 is output through the signal generating device 70 to generate a corresponding key signal.
Furthermore, as shown in equation (9), the distance D between the electrode plates 3011 may be changed, the key column 304 may be made of a material having a different dielectric constant, the filler 3013 may be made of a material having a different dielectric constant, or a pressure applied by the key column 304 on the filler 3013 may be changed (by changing L3) to change the change in capacitance between the electrode plates 3011, thereby generating different key signals to achieve different functions of the key structures 30.
The key structure 30 is located on the housing 100 and protrudes from an outer surface of the housing 10. The pressing portion 302 is applied on the connecting portion 301 to change a capacitance between the electrode plates 3011. The change in capacitance is output through the signal generating device 70 to generate a corresponding key signal. Furthermore, the key column 304 and the filler 3013 may be made of different materials having different dielectric constants, or the power source 50 may have a different size to generate different key signals to achieve different functions of the key structure 30.
The embodiments shown and described above are only examples. Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present technology have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the present disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in the detail, including in matters of shape, size and arrangement of the parts within the principles of the present disclosure up to, and including, the full extent established by the broad general meaning of the terms used in the claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2018 1 0073462 | Jan 2018 | CN | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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20150341031 | Marquas | Nov 2015 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20190229730 A1 | Jul 2019 | US |