This application claims the priority benefit of China application serial no. 201710863746.9, filed on Sep. 22, 2017. The entirety of the above-mentioned patent application is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of specification.
The invention relates to a key support mechanism and a key module, and in particular, to a key support mechanism and a key module applicable to a multiple unit key.
Currently, portable electronic devices (e.g., laptops) are generally being developed to thin down, and therefore, keyboards equipped on these thin laptops are also being developed to thin down. However, in a thin keyboard, space in a key is limited, and a thin keycap is prone to deformation. If a user only presses one of the edges of certain keys (e.g., a multiple unit key, which is longer than a general standard one unit key in a length direction, such as a space bar), it is possible that only this edge is pressed down and the opposite edge on this key is not moved downward jointly. As a result, a switch located right below the center of the key cannot be triggered.
How to move a key (e.g., a multiple unit key) downward in its entirety when only one of the edges of the key is pressed down and how to configure this key to be easy to assemble, incur low costs, and produce little noise when being pressed are one of the important issues that people skilled in the art seek to resolve.
The invention provides a key support mechanism that causes a key to move downward in its entirety when one of edges of a keycap is pressed downward. The key support mechanism is structurally simple, incurs low costs, and produces little noise when being pressed.
The invention provides a key module including the foregoing key support mechanism.
A key support mechanism of the invention is adapted to be disposed between a base plate and a keycap. The key support mechanism includes two scissor structures. The two scissor structures include two first support frames, two second support frames, and a first connecting member. Each of the first support frames includes a first side and a second side opposite to each other, a first fixing part located on the first side, and a second fixing part located on the second side, wherein the two first fixing parts are respectively adapted to be fixed to the keycap, and the two second fixing parts are respectively adapted to be fixed to the base plate. The two second support frames are respectively pivotally connected to the two first support frames, and each of the second support frames includes a third side and a fourth side opposite to each other, a third fixing part located on the third side, and a fourth fixing part located on the fourth side, wherein the two third fixing parts are respectively adapted to be fixed to the keycap, and the two fourth fixing parts are respectively adapted to be fixed to the base plate. The first connecting member is fixed and connected to the two first support frames and is located close to the two first sides, such that the two first support frames of the two scissor structures are linked to each other.
In an embodiment of the invention, each of the first support frames includes a first slot, and each of the second support frames is adapted to be pivotally rotated into the first slot of the corresponding first support frame.
In an embodiment of the invention, each of the second support frames includes a second slot, and each of the first support frames is adapted to be pivotally rotated into the second slot of the corresponding second support frame.
In an embodiment of the invention, the key support mechanism further includes a second connecting member connected to the two second support frames and located close to the two third sides, such that the two second support frames of the two scissor structures are linked to each other.
In an embodiment of the invention, the two first support frames and the first connecting member are integrally formed by sintering from a powder sintering material, or the two first support frames and the first connecting member are an integral metal member.
A key module of the invention includes a base plate, a circuit membrane, an elastic member, a key support mechanism, and a keycap. The circuit membrane is disposed on the base plate and includes a switch. The elastic member is disposed on the switch. The key support mechanism is disposed on the circuit membrane. The key support mechanism includes two scissor structures, wherein the elastic member is located between the two scissor structures. The two scissor structures include two first support frames, two second support frames, and a first connecting member. Each of the first support frames includes a first side and a second side opposite to each other, a first fixing part located on the first side, and a second fixing part located on the second side, wherein the two second fixing parts are respectively fixed to the base plate. The two second support frames are respectively pivotally connected to the two first support frames, and each of the second support frames includes a third side and a fourth side opposite to each other, a third fixing part located on the third side, and a fourth fixing part located on the fourth side, wherein the two fourth fixing parts are respectively fixed to the base plate. The first connecting member is fixed and connected to the two first support frames and is located close to the two first sides, such that the two first support frames of the two scissor structures are linked to each other. The keycap covers the elastic member and the key support mechanism, wherein the two first fixing parts of the two first support frames and the two third fixing parts of the two second support frames are respectively fixed to the keycap.
In an embodiment of the invention, each of the first support frames includes a first slot, and each of the second support frames is adapted to be pivotally rotated into the first slot of the corresponding first support frame.
In an embodiment of the invention, each of the second support frames includes a second slot, and each of the first support frames is adapted to be pivotally rotated into the second slot of the corresponding second support frame.
In an embodiment of the invention, the key support mechanism further includes a second connecting member connected to the two second support frames and located close to the two third sides, such that the two second support frames of the two scissor structures are linked to each other.
In an embodiment of the invention, the two first support frames and the first connecting member are integrally formed by sintering from a powder sintering material, or the two first support frames and the first connecting member are an integral metal member.
In light of the above, the key support mechanism of the key module of the invention includes the two scissor structures. The key support mechanism connects the two first support frames of the two scissor structures through the first connecting member, and the first connecting member is close to the two first sides of the two first support frames, such that the two first sides of the two first support frames connected to the keycap are linked to each other. Accordingly, when one of the edges of the keycap is pressed downward, the first side of the first support frame below this edge is moved downward, which causes the first connecting member to move downward jointly and drives the first side of the first support frame below the other edge to move downward. Therefore, the two first support frames of the two scissor structures move downward together such that the keycap can move together in its entirety. As a result, the keycap can press downward the elastic member located between the two scissor structures and trigger the switch. The key support mechanism of the key module of the invention exhibits advantages of structural simplicity, low costs, and ease of assembly. Moreover, since the first connecting member is fixed to the two first support frames, the first connecting member does not move relatively to the two first support frames. When the key module is pressed, the first connecting member does not hit the keycap or the base plate due to unwanted shaking and cause noise, and a more comfortable use experience is created.
To provide a further understanding of the aforementioned and other features and advantages of the disclosure, exemplary embodiments, together with the reference drawings, are described in detail below.
Referring to
Referring to
In the present embodiment, the first support frame 110 is, as an example, outer scissors of the scissor structure, and the second support frame 120 is, as an example, inner scissors of the scissor structure. However, the relationship between the first support frame 110 and the second support frame 120 is not limited hereto. The first support frame 110 includes a first slot 115, and, as shown in
As shown in
Each of the second support frames 120 includes a third side 121 and a fourth side 122 opposite to each other, a third fixing part 123 located on the third side 121, and a fourth fixing part 124 located on the fourth side 122. The third fixing part 123 of the second support frame 120 is fixed to the second keycap fixing part 54 of the keycap 50, and the fourth fixing part 124 of the second support frame 120 is fixed to the second base plate fixing part 24 of the base plate 20. In the present embodiment, the third fixing part 123 of the second support frame 120 and the second keycap fixing part 54 of the keycap 50 may be a combination of a hook and a tenon, and the fourth fixing part 124 of the second support frame 120 and the second base plate fixing part 24 of the base plate 20 may be a combination of a hook and a tenon, but they are not limited hereto.
In the present embodiment, the first connecting member 130 is fixed to a portion of the two first support frames 110 close to the two first sides 111, such that the two first support frames 110 of the two scissor structures are linked to each other. Accordingly, when an edge on the keycap 50 corresponding to the first side 111 of one of the first support frames 110 is pressed down, the first side 111 of the first support frame 110 below this edge is moved downward, which causes the first connecting member 130 to move downward jointly and drives the first side 111 of the first support frame 110 below the other edge to move downward. Therefore, the two first support frames 110 of the two scissor structures move together such that the keycap 50 can move together lengthwise. As a result, the keycap 50 can press downward the elastic member 140 located between the two scissor structures and trigger the switch 32.
Even if the user presses a corner on the keycap 50 corresponding to the third side 121 of one of the second support frames 120, since the width dimension of the key is small, the press is still linked to the opposite side (namely, the first side 111 of the first support frame 110), and similarly, the first support frame 110 can drive the first connecting member 130 and drive the other first support frame 110, such that the keycap 50 is moved downward in its entirety and triggers the switch 32.
It shall be mentioned that, in the present embodiment, in addition to linking the two first support frames 110 of the two scissor structures to each other through fixing the first connecting member 130 to the portion of the two first support frames 110 close to the two first sides 111, it is also possible to create a better structural strength in the two first support frames 110 and the first connecting member 130 through selection of materials so as to provide a better rigidity and create a better linking effect.
For example, the two first support frames 110 and the first connecting member 130 may be integrally formed by sintering from a powder sintering material. The powder sintering material may be selected from a metallic powder sintering material and a ceramic powder sintering material. The metallic powder sintering material is, for example, formed of one single metallic material or formed by blending multiple metallic powder materials, such as tungsten carbide, titanium alloys, ferroalloy materials (e.g., iron-nickel alloy), stainless steel powders (e.g., 304L stainless steel, 306 stainless steel, 440C stainless steel, and 17-4PH stainless steel), various alloy steels (e.g., SKD11 die steel and powder high-speed steel), and copper alloy powder materials, among other metallic powder sintering materials. The ceramic powder sintering material is, for example, zirconium oxide (ZrO2), yttrium oxide (Y2O3), aluminium oxide (Al2O3), silicon nitride (Si3N4), silicon carbide (SiC), boron nitride (BN), etc. However, the type of material and the manufacturing method of the two first support frames 110 and the first connecting member 130 are not limited hereto. In other embodiments, the two first support frames 110 and the first connecting member 130 may also be an integrally formed metal member or plastic member.
The key support mechanism 100 of the key module 10 of the present embodiment is structurally simple, incurs low costs, and is easy to assemble. Moreover, since the first connecting member 130 is fixed to the two first support frames 110, the first connecting member 130 does not move relatively to the two first support frames 110. When the key module 10 is pressed, the first connecting member 130 does not hit the keycap 50 or the base plate 20 due to unwanted shaking and cause noise, and a more comfortable use experience is created.
In the text below, key support mechanisms 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d of other embodiments are described. It shall be noted that, in the embodiments below, components identical or similar to the previous embodiment will be labeled by the same or similar numerals and will not be repeatedly described. Descriptions will be made only for the differences among the different embodiments.
In the present embodiment, the first connecting member 130a is connected to a first side 111a of the first support frame 110a functioning as the inner scissors. Similarly, when an edge on the first side 111a of one of the first support frames 110a is pressed down, the first connecting member 130a is caused to move downward jointly and drive the first side 111a of the other first support frame 110a to move downward. Therefore, the two first support frames 110a of the two scissor structures move together such that the keycap 50 (labeled in
It shall be mentioned that since the first connecting member 130b is connected to the upper surface of the first support frame 110b, a corresponding portion on a lower surface of the keycap 50 (not illustrated) may be relatively indented to receive the first connecting member 130b.
It shall be mentioned that the foregoing embodiments illustrate that the first connecting members 130a, 130b, 130c may be connected to different positions of the first support frames 110a, 110b, 110c functioning as the inner scissors. Similarly, if the first connecting member is connected to the first support frames functioning as the outer scissors, it may also be connected to positions other than that shown in
In summary of the above, the key support mechanism of the key module of the invention includes the two scissor structures. The key support mechanism connects the two first support frames of the two scissor structures through the first connecting member, and the first connecting member is close to the two first sides of the two first support frames, such that the two first sides of the two first support frames connected to the keycap are linked to each other. Accordingly, when one of the edges of the keycap is pressed down, the first side of the first support frame below this edge is moved downward, which causes the first connecting member to move downward jointly and drives the first side of the first support frame below the other edge to move downward. Therefore, the two first support frames of the two scissor structures move together such that the keycap can move together in its entirety. As a result, the keycap can effectively press downward the elastic member located between the two scissor structures and trigger the switch. The key support mechanism of the key module of the invention exhibits advantages of structural simplicity, low costs, and ease of assembly. Moreover, since the first connecting member is fixed to the two first support frames, the first connecting member does not move relatively to the two first support frames. When the key module is pressed, the first connecting member does not hit the keycap or the base plate due to unwanted shaking and cause noise, and a more comfortable use experience is created.
Although the invention is disclosed as the embodiments above, the embodiments are not meant to limit the invention. Any person skilled in the art may make slight modifications and variations without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the invention shall be defined by the claims attached below.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2017 1 0863746 | Sep 2017 | CN | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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20140318942 | Takemae | Oct 2014 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20190096602 A1 | Mar 2019 | US |