Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6489579
-
Patent Number
6,489,579
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Date Filed
Friday, June 22, 200123 years ago
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Date Issued
Tuesday, December 3, 200222 years ago
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Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
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CPC
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US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 200 344
- 200 345
- 200 5 A
- 200 517
- 200 341
- 400 472
- 400 490
- 400 4912
- 400 495
- 400 4951
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International Classifications
-
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)