Patent Application
20100231518
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a keyboard having multi-axis balance touch keys and particularly to a keyboard equipped with steadier depressible touch keys to provide steady depressing wherever the touch keys is depressed and prevent swaying during depressing to deliver correct output signals.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Advance of computer technology has greatly expanded computer applications in people's life. Many novel input means have been developed (such as voice input, handwriting input recognition and the like). Among them computer keyboard best meets user's requirement and is most widely adopted. A keyboard consists of a plurality of depressible keys. Each key has a key cap with a key strut located in the center of the bottom thereof to depress a conductive rubber to connect a film circuit to transmit a signal. When in use the key is depressed quickly by users. It could happen that only the edge or a corner of the key cap is depressed, and result in unsmooth depressing of the key strut and failure of connection to the circuit that causes erroneous input operation. To remedy the aforesaid problem many schemes have been proposed. For instance, Taiwan patent No. 85205282 (called cited reference hereinafter) provides a technique to connect four corners of the key cap in a cross fashion to overcome the drawbacks mentioned above.
While the cited reference can avoid improper depressing of the key cap during operation, its structure is complex. Production is difficult and costly. The key consists of numerous elements. As a result, production yield is lower.
In recent years touch pads are very popular, and are increasingly adopted to key structure. They are easier to use and the provided function expands constantly. Use area of the touch pad on the key also increases. However, the operation elements beneath the touch pad do not match correspondingly. As a result, different areas of the touch pad respond differently when subject to a depressing force. Uneven depressing takes place. This problem is more serious as the touch pad becomes larger. Swaying often occurs when the touch pad is depressed. There are still rooms for improvement.
As the problem of the aforesaid conventional technique is mainly caused by uneven distribution of depressing force applying to the operation elements beneath the touch pad, the present invention aims to provide a keyboard having multi-axis balance touch keys to overcome the conventional problem mentioned above. The keyboard according to the invention includes at least one touch key. The touch key includes a depressible plate which has a touch pad, a contact switch, a base and a plurality of balance elements. The balance elements are located between the depressible plate and the base to evenly distribute the total weight of the touch key.
There is a plurality of first retaining elements located at the bottom side of the depressible plate that are arranged in two different axial directions. Each axial direction has at least one first retaining element located thereon.
The contact switch pushes the bottom side of the depressible surface in regular conditions.
The base has a plurality of second retaining elements arranged in the two different axial directions. Each axial direction has at least one second retaining element located thereon.
The balance elements are located on the two different axial directions. Each balance element is formed in a -shape with a longitudinal rod at a upper end and jutting ends at distal ends to be latched respectively to the first retaining elements and the second retaining elements. The first and second retaining elements have at least one horizontal slot to allow the balance element to slide therein in parallel with the depressible plate thereby to evenly distribute the downward pressing force. Thus wherever the touch key is depressed a steady and vertical up and down movement can be formed to fully trigger the contact switch to achieve a steady depressing operation without swaying. Therefore a correct output signal can be generated.
The invention, by deploying multiple balance elements in multiple axial directions, allows the touch pad to be divided into multiple depressing segments. Any depressing segment can be touched by users and the entire depressible plate can get an even support and downward force to form a steady and vertical up and down movement. Thus it effectively solves the conventional problem. It also can prevent swaying for a larger size touch pad during depressing operation.
In one aspect different depressing segments of the touch pad can be made to output different signals to represent varying characters or symbols defined by the system of an electronic device (such as a computer). Namely when one depressing segment is depressed the contact switch is triggered to output a different corresponding signal.
In another aspect the balance elements are arranged in the two axial directions and cross each other orthogonally. At the crossing spot at least one of two balance elements has at least one concave portion to allow each balance element to be moved on a same planar surface without interfering with each other.
In yet another aspect the balance elements are arranged in the two axial directions and laid in a L-shape.
In yet another aspect the balance elements are arranged in the two axial directions and laid in a #-shape.
In yet another aspect the balance elements are arranged in the two axial directions and laid in a H-shape.
In yet another aspect at least one of the first retaining elements at the bottom side of the depressible plate has a positioning latch trough formed with an indented retaining portion to be wedged in by the longitudinal rod of the balance element without escaping and allow the longitudinal rod to turn therein.
In yet another aspect at least one of the first retaining elements at the bottom side of the depressible plate has a sliding latch slot formed with a horizontal slot to be wedged in and slidable by the jutting end of the balance elements.
In yet another aspect at least one of the second retaining elements on the base has a positioning latch trough formed with an indented retaining portion to be wedged in by the longitudinal rod of the balance rod without escaping and allow the longitudinal rod to turn therein.
In yet another aspect at least one of the second retaining elements on the base has a sliding latch slot formed with a horizontal slot to be wedged in and slidable by the jutting end of the balance elements.
In yet another aspect at least two of the balance elements are cross with each other and arranged in the different axial directions. One of the balance elements has the longitudinal rod latched to the second retaining element on the base and the jutting end latched to the first retaining element beneath the depressing plate, and another balance element has the longitudinal rod latched to the first retaining element beneath the depressing plate and the jutting end latched to the second retaining element on the base to prevent interfering with each other during movement.
In yet another aspect the balance elements are made of a metal bar (such as a steel wire) to enhance the rigidness of the balance elements.
The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments discussed below serve merely for illustrative purpose and are not the limitation of the invention.
Please referring to
The touch pad 11 is divided into multiple depressing segments 111. There are a plurality of first retaining elements 13 located at a bottom side 12 of the depressible plate 1 that are arranged in two different axial directions X and Y. Each of the axial directions X and Y has at least one first retaining element 13 located thereon. Each depressing segment 111 aims to control a different output signal to execute a character defined by the system of an electronic device (such as a computer). For instance, in
The contact switch 3 is elastic and has an elastic depressing space 30 and a top portion 31 pushing the bottom side 12 of the depressible plate 1 in regular conditions to hold it upward. The contact switch 3 is a pushbutton switch.
The base 4 has a plurality of second retaining elements 41, located thereon arranged in the two different axial directions X and Y. Each of the axial directions X and Y has at least one second retaining element 41 located thereon.
The balance elements 2 are located on the two different axial directions X and Y. Each of the balance elements 2 is formed in a -shape, and has a longitudinal rod 21 at a upper end and jutting ends 22 at distal ends to be latched respectively to the first retaining elements 13 and the second retaining elements 41. The first and second retaining elements 13 and 41 have at least one horizontal slot B1 to allow the balance element 2 to slide therein in parallel with the depressible plate 1.
By means of the elements and construction set forth above, the longitudinal rod 21 of the balance elements 2 is latched on the first retaining element 13 at the bottom side 12 of the depressible plate 1 and the jutting ends 22 are latched on the second retaining element 41 on the base 4, and are positioned in the two axial directions X and Y. Upon receiving a depressing force from a user's finger (referring to
The balance elements 2 are arranged in the axial directions X and Y cross with each other in an orthogonal fashion. At the crossing spot at least one of the balance elements 2 has at least one concave portion 23 to allow each balance element 2 to be moved at the same planar surface without interfering with each other (referring to
Among the first retaining elements 13 located at the bottom side 12 of the depressible plate 1, at least one of them has a positioning latch trough A formed with an indented retaining portion A1 to latch the longitudinal rod 21 of the balance element 2 and allow the longitudinal rod 21 to turn therein.
Among the second retaining elements 41 located on the base 4, at least one of them has one sliding latch slot B formed with one horizontal slot B1 to latch the jutting end 22 and allow the jutting end 22 to slide therein.
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As a conclusion, the invention provides a simpler structure and can be fabricated and assembled easier. It allows the key to be moved steadily and vertically up and down to trigger the contact switch to generate different output signals. It can substitute the conventional keyboard and offer significant improvement.
While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been set forth for the purpose of disclosure, modifications of the disclosed embodiments of the invention as well as other embodiments thereof may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all embodiments which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.
