Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6614364
-
Patent Number
6,614,364
-
Date Filed
Monday, May 22, 200024 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, September 2, 200320 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
- Horabik; Michael
- Dang; Hung
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 341 22
- 200 345
- 200 5 R
- 200 6 R
- 200 440
- 200 344
- 200 9
- 200 512
- 200 513
- 361 725
- 361 748
- 361 749
- 361 807
- 400 490
- 400 491
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A computer keyboard includes abase stand, a membrane circuit board installed on the base stand and a plurality of key mechanisms. The membrane circuit board has a plurality of pressure sensors for generating key-pressing signals and each of the key mechanisms is positioned above one of the pressure sensors. The rubber membrane includes a connecting membrane and a plurality of upwardly protruding rubber domes that can be easily detached from the connecting membrane. Each of the rubber domes is positioned above one of the pressure sensors of the membrane circuit board to support the key mechanism above it. When installing the rubber membrane, the rubber domes of the rubber membrane are placed above and glued to the pressure sensors of the membrane circuit board. Then the connecting membrane of the rubber membrane is torn away, leaving the rubber domes on the membrane circuit board.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rubber membrane, and more particularly, to a rubber membrane used in a computer keyboard.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Computer keyboards are an extremely common computer peripheral for inputting data. A prior art computer keyboard comprises a base stand; a membrane circuit board, with a plurality of pressure sensors, installed on the base stand; a plurality of rubber domes placed on the membrane circuit board and a plurality of key mechanisms installed above the rubber domes. Each of the rubber domes is positioned over one of the pressure sensors on the membrane circuit board to support the key mechanism above it. In the prior art, a jig is used to precisely position the rubber domes above the pressure sensors, and they are then glued onto the membrane circuit board. Easily and efficiently positioning the rubber domes above the pressure sensors is very important when assembling a computer keyboard.
Please refer to FIG.
1
and FIG.
2
.
FIG. 1
is a schematic diagram of positioning a rubber dome
12
of a prior art computer keyboard
10
.
FIG. 2
is a schematic diagram of a key mechanism
20
shown in
FIG. 1
while depressed. The prior art method for installing the rubber domes
12
of the computer keyboard
10
involves applying glue to the bottom
14
of the rubber domes
12
, using a jig to position the rubber domes
12
and then affixing the rubber domes
12
to the membrane circuit board
16
. In this manner, the rubber domes
12
are accurately positioned above the pressure sensors
18
, as shown in FIG.
1
. However, the prior art method of installing the rubber domes
12
is to install them sequentially, one after another, and so is very inconvenient. In addition, there is no rubber membrane in the area where the right and left ends
21
,
23
of key cap
19
of the key mechanism may touch the membrane circuit board
16
. As shown in
FIG. 2
, when depressing the key cap
19
of the prior art computer keyboard
10
, the right end
23
and the left end
21
of the key cap
19
will impact with the membrane circuit board
16
, making noise.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a primary objective of the present invention to provide a rubber membrane used in a computer keyboard to solve the above mentioned problems.
In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a rubber membrane used in a computer keyboard. The computer keyboard has a base plate and a plurality of key mechanisms up-and-down movably connected to the base plate. The base plate has a base stand, and a membrane circuit board installed on the base stand. The membrane circuit board has a plurality of pressure sensors for generating key-pressing signals and each of the key mechanisms is positioned above one of the pressure sensors. The rubber membrane comprises
a connecting membrane; and
a plurality of upwardly protruding rubber domes that can be easily detached from the connecting membrane and each of the rubber domes being positioned above one of the pressure sensors of the membrane circuit board for upwardly supporting the key mechanism located thereon;
wherein when installing the rubber membrane, the rubber domes of the rubber membrane are placed above the pressure sensors of the membrane circuit board, and the bottom portions of the rubber domes are glued to the base plate. Then, the connecting membrane of the rubber membrane is torn away such that the plurality of the rubber domes are retained on the pressure sensors of the membrane circuit board.
It is an advantage of the present invention that the rubber membrane enables for easier and more efficient assembly of the computer keyboard, and it also reduces keyboard noise.
These and other objectives and advantages of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after having read the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a cross-sectional diagram of positioning a rubber dome of a prior art computer keyboard.
FIG. 2
is a cross-sectional diagram of a key mechanism shown in
FIG. 1
while depressed.
FIG. 3
is an exploded view of the devices of a computer keyboard with a present invention rubber membrane.
FIG. 4
is a cross-sectional view of the devices shown in
FIG. 3
when assembled.
FIG. 5
is an overhead view of the present invention rubber membrane.
FIG. 6
is a cross-sectional diagram of an alternative present invention method of gluing the rubber membrane to a metal base plate.
FIG. 7
is a cross-sectional diagram of an alternative present invention method of gluing the rubber membrane to the membrane circuit board.
FIG. 8
is a cross-sectional diagram of the rubber membrane shown in
FIG. 4
while the key mechanism is depressed.
FIG. 9
is an overhead view of an alternative rubber membrane of the present invention.
FIG. 10
is a cross-sectional diagram of the rubber membrane shown in
FIG. 9
while the key mechanism is depressed.
FIG. 11
is a cross-sectional diagram of an alternative present invention method of gluing a rubber membrane to the membrane circuit board.
FIG. 12
is a schematic diagram illustrating a method of installing a rubber membrane to a computer keyboard according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Please refer to FIG.
3
and FIG.
4
.
FIG. 3
is an exploded view of the devices of a computer keyboard
30
with a present invention rubber membrane
32
.
FIG. 4
is a cross-sectional view of the devices shown in
FIG. 3
, when assembled. The present invention provides for the rubber membrane
32
used in the computer keyboard
30
. The computer keyboard
30
has a base plate
33
, and a plurality of key mechanisms
38
up-and-down movably connected to the base plate
33
. The base plate
33
has a base stand
34
, and a membrane circuit board
36
installed on the base stand
34
. The membrane circuit board
36
has a plurality of pressure sensors
37
to generate key-pressing signals, and each of the key mechanisms
38
is positioned above one of the pressure sensors
37
. The base stand
34
comprises a metal base plate
52
and a waterproof plastic plate
54
fastened to the underside of the metal base plate
52
. The metal base plate
52
has a plurality of positioning holes
56
and, likewise, the membrane circuit board
36
comprises a plurality of positioning holes
50
.
Please refer to FIG.
5
.
FIG. 5
is an overhead view of the present invention rubber membrane
32
. The rubber membrane
32
comprises a connecting membrane
40
, a plurality of upwardly protruding rubber domes
42
that can be easily detached from the connecting membrane
40
and a plurality of downwardly protruding rubber pegs
48
on the underside of the rubber membrane
32
. There is a tearing line
46
between each of the rubber domes
42
and the connecting membrane
40
that ensures the rubber domes
42
can be easily detached from the connecting membrane
40
. The tearing lines
46
can be perforation lines. Each of the rubber domes
42
is positioned above one of the corresponding pressure sensors
37
of the membrane circuit board
36
to support the key mechanism
38
located above it.
The rubber pegs
48
of the rubber membrane
32
are in positions that correspond to the positioning holes
50
,
56
on the membrane circuit board
36
and the metal base plate
52
, respectively. As shown in
FIG. 3
, there are two rubber pegs
48
on the underside of the rubber membrane of each rubber dome.
As shown in
FIG. 4
, when the rubber domes
42
of the rubber membrane
32
are placed above the pressure sensors
37
, each of the rubber pegs
48
couples with its corresponding positioning hole
50
and
56
. Then, the bottom of the rubber peg
48
is glued to the waterproof plastic plate
54
. In this manner, each of the rubber domes
42
of the rubber membrane
32
are precisely positioned above the pressure sensors
37
of the membrane circuit board
36
and glued to the waterproof plastic plate
54
of the base stand
34
.
Referring to
FIG. 12
, the method of installing the rubber membrane
32
to the base stand
34
and the membrane circuit board
36
of the computer keyboard
30
comprises the following steps: using the rubber pegs
48
to position the rubber domes
42
of the rubber membrane
32
over the pressure sensors
37
, gluing the bottom portions of the rubber domes
42
to the base plate
33
and, finally, tearing away the connecting membrane
40
of the rubber membrane
32
, leaving the rubber domes
42
over the pressure sensors
37
of the membrane circuit board
36
. Because the rubber pegs
48
underneath the rubber domes
42
couple into their corresponding positioning holes
50
,
56
and are glued to the base plate
33
, each of the rubber domes
42
will be precisely placed above its pressure sensor
37
. Therefore, when installing the rubber membrane
32
, no error accumulation problem occurs for the rubber domes
42
over their respective pressure sensors
37
.
When installing the rubber domes
42
onto the base stand
34
and the membrane circuit board
36
, because the rubber domes
42
are connected to the rubber membrane
32
and the rubber pegs
48
couple with their corresponding positioning holes
50
and
56
, the rubber domes
42
can be precisely positioned above the pressure sensors
37
as a group, instead of sequentially. Then, by tearing away the connecting membrane
40
along the tearing lines
46
, the rubber domes
42
remain over their pressure sensors
37
of the membrane circuit board
36
. Accordingly, the present invention provides a convenient method of installing the rubber domes
42
without using a jig.
Please refer to FIG.
6
.
FIG. 6
is a schematic diagram of an alternative present invention method of gluing the rubber membrane
32
to a metal base plate
53
. The base stand
35
comprises a metal base plate
53
, and the rubber pegs
48
on the underside of the rubber membrane
32
are glued to the metal base plate
53
. When the rubber pegs
48
couple with their corresponding holes
50
of the membrane circuit board
36
, the bottom of each of the rubber pegs
48
is glued to the metal base plate
53
. Thus, each of the rubber domes
42
is precisely positioned above its corresponding pressure sensor
37
.
Please refer to FIG.
7
.
FIG. 7
is a schematic diagram of an alternative present invention method of gluing the rubber membrane
32
to the membrane circuit board
36
. The membrane circuit board
36
comprises a plurality of positioning notches
51
that do not penetrate through the membrane circuit board. The positioning notches
51
engage with their corresponding rubber pegs
48
on the underside of the rubber membrane
32
. First, glue is applied to the positioning notches
51
of the membrane circuit board
36
, then the rubber pegs
48
of the rubber membranes
32
are affixed to their corresponding positioning notches
51
of the membrane circuit board
36
. With the bottoms of the rubber pegs
48
glued to the membrane circuit board
36
, the rubber domes
42
are fixed onto the membrane circuit board
36
. When the connecting membrane
40
of the rubber membrane
36
is torn away, each of the rubber domes
42
remains over its corresponding pressure sensor
37
.
Please refer to FIG.
8
.
FIG. 8
is a schematic diagram of the rubber membrane
32
shown in
FIG. 4
while the key mechanism
38
is depressed.
FIG. 8
only shows a certain part of the entire structure. As shown in
FIG. 8
, after the connecting membrane
40
of the rubber membrane
32
is torn away, a gap
43
is left between two adjacent rubber domes
42
. The gaps
43
can accommodate the right end
39
and left end
41
of the key mechanism
38
when the key mechanism
38
is depressed, so the present invention rubber membrane
32
can ensure a minimum thickness for the computer keyboard
30
.
Please refer to FIG.
9
.
FIG. 9
is a top view of an alternative rubber membrane
60
of the present invention. The main difference between the rubber membrane
60
of this embodiment and the rubber membrane
32
is the structure of a connecting membrane
62
of the rubber membrane
60
. The function and structure of the connecting membrane
62
will be described below, and those features that are not mentioned remain the same as those in the rubber membrane
32
. The rubber membrane
60
comprises the connecting membrane
62
and a plurality of rubber domes
42
. The plurality of rubber domes
42
are linked together with linking portions
66
. There are tearing lines
64
between the connecting membrane
62
and the linking portion
66
so that each of the rubber domes
42
can be easily detached from the connecting membrane
62
. When the connecting membrane
62
of the rubber membrane
60
is torn away from the membrane circuit board
36
or the base stand
34
,
35
along the tearing lines
64
, the linking portions
66
and the rubber domes
42
will remain attached to the membrane circuit board
36
.
Please refer to FIG.
10
.
FIG. 10
is a schematic diagram of the rubber membrane
60
shown in
FIG. 9
while the key mechanism
38
is depressed. As shown in
FIG. 10
, there are linking portions
66
between the rubber domes
42
. The linking portions
66
can absorb the force generated when the key mechanism
38
is depressed, and thus reduce the noise made when the right and left ends
39
,
41
impact the membrane circuit board
36
. Consequently, the present invention rubber membrane
60
can reduce keyboard noise.
Please refer to FIG.
11
.
FIG. 11
is a schematic diagram of an alternative present invention method of gluing a rubber membrane
70
to the membrane circuit board
36
. The main difference between the rubber membrane
70
of this embodiment and the rubber membrane
32
is that there are no rubber pegs
48
on the underside of the rubber membrane
70
. The function and structure of the rubber membrane
70
is described below, and those features not mentioned remain the same as those described in the rubber membrane
32
. The rubber membrane
70
of this embodiment has glue applied to the predetermined area of its bottom
72
and is then affixed to the membrane circuit board
36
. After that, the connecting membrane
40
is torn away, and the rubber domes
42
remain over their respective pressure sensors
37
of the membrane circuit board
36
.
In the contrast to the prior art method of installing the rubber domes
12
to the computer keyboard
10
, the present invention rubber domes
42
of the rubber membrane
32
,
60
,
70
are easily detached from the connecting membrane
40
,
62
, and are glued to the base plate
33
, i.e. the membrane circuit board
36
or base stand
34
,
35
, with the rubber pegs
48
on the underside of the rubber membrane
32
,
60
, or by applying glue to the predetermined area of the bottom of the rubber membrane. When installing the rubber membrane
32
,
60
,
70
, each of the rubber domes
42
is placed above its corresponding pressure sensor
37
and the bottom portions of the rubber domes
42
are glued to the base plate
33
, then the connecting membrane
40
,
62
is torn away. The present invention membrane
32
,
60
,
70
aligns each of the rubber domes
42
precisely over its corresponding pressure sensor
37
, without any error accumulation problems. The present invention also provides a convenient method for installing rubber domes
42
on the computer keyboard
30
all at once, rather than sequentially. In addition, with the present invention design, the present invention rubber membrane
32
,
60
,
70
ensures a minimum thickness for the computer keyboard
30
and reduces keyboard noise.
Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.
Claims
- 1. A rubber membrane used in a computer keyboard, the compute keyboard having a base plate and a plurality of key mechanisms up-and-down movably connected to the base plate, the base plate having a base stand and membrane circuit board installed on the base stand, the membrane circuit board having a plurality of pressure sensors for generating key-pressing signals, wherein each of the key mechanisms is positioned above one of the pressure sore; the rubber membrane comprising:a connecting membrane; a plurality of upwardly protruding rubber domes removably connected to the connecting membrane and each of the rubber domes corresponding to one of the pressure sensors of the membrane circuit board for upwardly supporting the key mechanism located therein; and a tearing line between each of the rubber domes and the connecting membrane, the rubber domes of the rubber membrane capable of being retained on the membrane circuit board when the connecting membrane is torn away along each of the tearing lines; wherein the rubber domes are capable of being glued to the base plate, and the connecting membrane of the rubber membrane is capable of being torn away such that the plurality of the rubber domes are retained on the pressure sensors of the membrane circuit board.
- 2. The rubber membrane of claim 1 further comprising a linking portion for connecting a plurality of rubber domes of the rubber membrane, the tearing line being between the connecting membrane and the linking portion coupled with the rubber domes, the linking portion and the rubber domes linked with the linking portion capable of being retained on the membrane circuit board when the connecting membrane is torn away along the tearing line.
- 3. A rubber membrane used in a computer keyboard, the computer keyboard having a base plate and a plurality of key mechanisms up-and-down movably connected to the base plate, the base plate having a base stand and a membrane circuit board installed on the base stand, the membrane circuit board having a plurality of pressure sensors for generating key-pressing signal, wherein each of the key mechanisms is positioned above one of the pressure sensors; the rubber membrane comprising:a connecting membrane; a plurality of upwardly protruding rubber domes removably connected to the connecting membrane and each of the rubber domes corresponding to one of the pressure sensor of the membrane circuit board for upwardly supporting the key mechanism locate thereon; and a plurality of downwardly protruding rubber pegs set up on an underside of the rubber membrane for engaging with a plurality of positioning holes of the membrane circuit board, wherein when the rubber domes of the rubber membrane are placed above the pressure sensors of the membrane circuit board, the rubber pegs on the underside of the rubber membrane are coupled into the positioning holes of the membrane circuit board such that the rubber domes of the rubber membrane can be precisely positioned on the pressure sensors of the membrane circuit board; wherein the rubber domes are capable of being glued to the base plate, and the connecting membrane of the rubber membrane is capable of being torn away such that the plurality of the rubber domes are retained on the pressure sensors of the membrane circuit board.
- 4. The rubber membrane of claim 3 wherein the rubber pegs of the rubber membrane are set up around each of the rubber domes, the rubber pegs capable of being coupled into the positioning holes of the membrane circuit board, the bottom end of each of the rubber pegs being glued to the base stand so that the plurality of the rubber domes are capable of being be retained on the membrane circuit board when the connecting membrane of the rubber membrane is torn away.
- 5. The rubber membrane of claim 4 wherein the base stand comprises a metal base plate and the bottom ends of the rubber pegs are glued to the metal base plate.
- 6. The rubber membrane of claim 4 wherein the base stand comprises a metal base plate having a plurality of positioning holes for matching the rubber pegs of the rubber membrane and a waterproof plastic plate fastened to an underside of the metal base plate wherein the rubber pegs of the rubber membrane are coupled to the corresponding positioning holes on the membrane circuit board and the metal base plates, and the bottom ends of the rubber pegs are glued to the waterproof plastic plate so that the plurality of at rubber domes are capable of being retained on the membrane circuit board when the connecting membrane of the rubber membrane is torn away.
- 7. A method of installing a rubber membrane to a computer keyboard, the computer keyboard having a base plate and a plurality of key mechanisms up-and-down movably connected to the base plate, the base plate having a base stand, and a membrane circuit board installed on the base stand, the membrane circuit having a plurality of pressure sensors for generating key-pressing signals, wherein each of the key mechanisms is positioned above one of the pressure sensors, the rubber membrane comprising a connecting membrane and a plurality of upwardly protruding rubber domes removably connected to the connecting membrane and each of the rubber domes capable of being positione above one of the presure sensors of the membrane circuit board for upwardly supporting the key mechanism located thereon, the method comprising:placing the rubber domes of the rubber membrane on the pressure sensors of the membrane circuit board; gluing the bottom portions of the rubber domes to the base plate of the computer keyboard; and tearing away the connecting membrane of the rubber membrane so that the rubber domes are retained on the pressure sensor of the membrane circuit board.
- 8. The method of claim 7 wherein the rubber membrane comprises a tearing line between each of the rubber domes and the connecting membrane and when the connecting membrane is torn away along each of the tearing lines, the rubber domes of the rubber membrane will be retained on the membrane circuit board.
- 9. The method of claim 7 wherein the rubber membrane comprises a linking portion for connecting a plurality of rubber domes of the rubber membrane, and a tearing line between the connecting membrane and the linking portion coupled with the rubber domes linked with the linking portion where when the connecting membrane is torn away along the tearing line, the linking portion and the rubber domes linked with the linking portion will be retained on the membrane circuit board.
- 10. The method of claim 7 wherein the rubber membrane comprises a plurality of downwardly protruding rubber pegs set up on its underside and the membrane circuit board comprises a plurality of positioning holes for engaging the rubber pegs wherein when the rubber domes of the rubber membrane are placed above the pressure sensors of the membrane circuit board, the rubber pegs on the underside of the rubber membrane are coupled into the positioning holes on the membrane circuit board such that the rubber domes of the rubber membrane can be precisely positioned on the pressure sensors of the membrane circuit board.
- 11. The method of claim 10 wherein the rubber pegs of the rubber membrane are set up around each of the rubber domes, and after the rubber pegs are coupled into the positioning holes of the membrane circuit board, the bottom end of each of the rubber pegs is glued to the base stand so that when the connecting membrane of the rubber membrane is torn away, the plurality of the rubber domes can be retained on the membrane circuit board.
- 12. The method of claim 11 wherein the be stand comprises a metal base plate and the bottom ends of the rubber pegs are glued to the metal base plate.
- 13. The method of claim 11 wherein the base stand comprises a metal base plate having a plurality of positioning holes for matching the rubber pegs of the rubber membrane and a waterproof plastic plate fastened to an underside of the metal base plate wherein the rubber pegs of the rubber membrane are coupled to the corresponding positioning holes of the membrane circuit board and the metal base plate, and the bottom ends of the rubber pegs are glued to the waterproof plastic plate so that when the connecting membrane of the rubber membrane is torn away, the plurality of the rubber domes can be retained on the membrane circuit board.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
88109295 A |
Apr 1999 |
TW |
|
US Referenced Citations (6)