Key switch

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6489579
  • Patent Number
    6,489,579
  • Date Filed
    Friday, June 22, 2001
    23 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, December 3, 2002
    22 years ago
Abstract
A key switch, comprising a base unit, a first linking member, a second linking member and a key cap, the first and the second linking members being interactively linked and driven by each other, on two sides of the first and the second linking members being respectively two joining pins, on the base unit and opposite the joining pins of the first and the second linking members being two pairs of connecting units, inside the key cap and opposite the joining pins of the fist and the second linking members being two pairs of connecting units, the connecting units of the base unit and the key cap respectively accommodating the joining pins of the fist and the second linking members, so that all joining pins can slide and move inside the connecting units, and the four joining points can move when the first and the second linking members are moving between the key cap and the base unit, to improve consistency of transmission when the push key is pressed.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




The present invention relates to a key switch, in which the joining points can move smoothly when the linking members are moving, to improve consistency of transmission when the key is depressed.




2. Background of the Invention




Conventional design of key switch has been aimed at the consideration of compactness and lightweight. As a result, the linking members acting as transmitting agents from the top to the bottom have been designed in two crossing linking members to reduce the space occupied by the keys. Therefore, the size of a desktop computer keyboard is reduced to become a smaller keyboard for a notebook computer. However, the smaller the specifications of the keys, the less satisfactory the user finds his keyboard is performing when he presses the keys. For instance, when the user has pressed on one corner of the key, instead of accurately and properly pressing the entire key, the transmission of the key is often found not so satisfactory.




BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION




Therefore, the primary objective of this invention is to provide a key switch, comprising a base unit, interactively linked first and second linking members, and a key cap, on two sides of the first and the second linking members respectively having two joining pins, on the base unit and corresponding to the joining pins of the first and the second linking members being two pairs of connecting units, on the inside of the key cap and corresponding to the joining pins of the first and the second linking members being two pairs of connecting units, so that the four joining points can move inside the connecting units when the first and the second linking members are moving interactively, to improve consistency of transmission when the push key is pressed.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS




The drawings of preferred embodiments of this invention are described in following details to enable better understanding.





FIG. 1

is an exploded view of the invention of key switch.





FIG. 2

is a perspective view of the invention, showing the installation of the first and the second linking members on the base unit.





FIG. 3

is a section view of the invention, showing the key switch at a normal position.





FIG. 4

is a section view of the invention, showing the key switch at a pressed position.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS




As shown in

FIGS. 1 and 2

, the invention of key switch


100


comprises a base unit


10


, a first linking member


20


, a second linking member


30


and a key cap


40


. The first and second linking members


20


and


30


are interlinked and inter-driven. On two sides of the first and the second linking members


20


and


30


are respectively formed two joining pins


21


,


22


and


31


,


32


. On the base unit


10


and corresponding to the joining pins


21


and


31


of the first and the second linking members


20


and


30


are two pairs of connecting units


11


and


21


. On the inside of the key cap


40


and corresponding to the joining pins


22


and


32


of the first and the second linking members


20


and


30


are two pairs of connecting units


41


. The connecting units


11


and


41


of the base unit


10


and the key cap


40


respectively accommodate the joining pins


21


,


22


and


31


,


32


of the first and the second linking members


20


and


30


, enabling the joining pins


21


,


22


,


31


,


32


to move inside the connecting units


11


and


41


, and that the four joining points can slide freely when the first and the second linking members


20


and


30


move between the key cap


40


and the base unit


10


, and improve consistency when the key switch is depressed.




As shown in

FIGS. 3 and 4

, in the normal position, the joining pins


21


,


22


and


31


,


32


of the first and the second linking members


20


and


30


are embedded into the connecting units


11


and


41


of the base unit


10


and the key cap


40


, close to the inside, while a rubber post


50


built in each key switch


100


of the keyboard presses up the first and the second linking members


20


and


30


, maintaining them at their lifted positions, as shown in FIG.


3


.




When the key switch


100


is depressed, since the joining pins


21


,


22


and


31


,


32


can move outwardly inside the connecting units


11


and


41


of the base unit


10


and the key cap


40


, allowing the first and the second linking members


20


and


30


to sink and accomplish the pressing performance. Then, even when the key switch


100


is not properly depressed, the position being pressed on top of the key cap


40


is not exact, the first and the second linking members


20


and


30


will interactively link to each other and slide the joining pins


21


,


22


,


31


and


32


, maintaining balanced, downward movement.



Claims
  • 1. A key switch, comprising a base unit, a first linking member, a second linking member and a key cap, the first and the second linking members being interactively linked and driven by each other, on two sides of the first and the second linking members being respectively two joining pins, on the base unit and opposite the joining pins of the first and the second linking members being two pairs of connecting units, inside the key cap and opposite the joining pins of the fist and the second linking members being two pairs of connecting units, the connecting units of the base unit and the key cap respectively accommodating the joining pins of the first and the second linking members, so that all joining pins slide and move inside the connecting units.
US Referenced Citations (3)
Number Name Date Kind
5457297 Chen Oct 1995 A
5829579 Tsai Nov 1998 A
5874696 Hayashi et al. Feb 1999 A