Luminous keyboard and luminous keyswitch thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10276327-B2
Application number	US-201715611079-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2017
Priority date	Jun 4, 2016
Publication date	Apr 30, 2019
Grant date	Apr 30, 2019

Abstract

A luminous keyswitch includes a keycap having a light-transparent portion, a baseplate, an up-down mechanism with two ends respectively moveably connected to the keycap and the baseplate, a function sheet disposed on or under the baseplate, and a light source disposed on the function sheet within a vertical projection of the keycap and connected by a copper wire to provide a light illuminating the light-transparent portion. The function sheet includes a flexible upper circuit layer having a first contact point, a flexible spacer layer having a hole, and a flexible lower circuit layer having a second copper contact point, a third copper contact point, a first copper wire connected to the second copper contact point, and a second copper wire connected to the third copper contact point. When the keycap is pressed, the first contact point passes through the hole to electrically connect the second and third copper contact points.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A luminous keyswitch, comprising:
a keycap having a light-transparent portion;
a baseplate disposed below the keycap;
an up-down mechanism with two ends respectively moveably connected to the keycap and the baseplate;
a function sheet disposed on or under the baseplate, the function sheet comprising:
a flexible upper circuit layer having a first contact point;
a flexible spacer layer having a first hole; and
a flexible lower circuit layer having a second copper contact point, a third copper contact point, a first copper wire, and a second copper wire, the first copper wire and the second copper wire respectively connecting the second copper contact point and the third copper contact point; and

a light source connected by a copper wire, the copper wire formed on a side of the flexible upper circuit layer opposite to the first contact point or formed on a side of the flexible lower circuit layer opposite to the second copper contact point, the third copper contact point, the first copper wire, and the second copper wire, the light source located within a vertical projection of the keycap to provide a light to illuminate the light-transparent portion,
wherein when the keycap is pressed, the first contact point passes through the first hole to electrically connect the second copper contact point and the third copper contact point.

2. The luminous keyswitch of claim 1 , wherein a material of the flexible upper circuit layer and the flexible lower circuit layer is polyethylene terephthalate.

3. The luminous keyswitch of claim 1 , wherein the second copper contact point and the third copper contact point have a finger shape or a zigzag shape.

4. The luminous keyswitch of claim 1 , wherein the first contact point has a circular shape.

5. The luminous keyswitch of claim 1 , wherein the first contact point is made of a silver paste by screen-printing.

6. The luminous keyswitch of claim 1 , further comprising an insulation glue or an insulation layer covering the light source.

7. The luminous keyswitch of claim 1 , further comprising an elastic member disposed between the keycap and the baseplate, wherein the light source is located within a vertical projection of the elastic member.

8. The luminous keyswitch of claim 1 , wherein the up-down mechanism is a scissors type up-down mechanism or a butterfly type up-down mechanism.

9. The luminous keyswitch of claim 1 , wherein the flexible spacer layer has a second hole; the flexible upper circuit layer has a third hole; the flexible lower circuit layer has a hole; the light source is disposed on the flexible lower circuit layer and extends through the hole, the second hole and the third hole.

10. The luminous keyswitch of claim 9 , further comprising an insulation glue or an insulation layer covering a portion of the light source exposed by the third hole.

11. The luminous keyswitch of claim 9 , wherein the light source is disposed on a side of the flexible lower circuit layer opposite to the flexible spacer layer.

12. A luminous keyboard comprising a plurality of the luminous keyswitches of claim 1 .

13. A luminous keyswitch, comprising:
a keycap having a light-transparent portion;
a baseplate disposed below the keycap;
an up-down mechanism with two ends respectively moveably connected to the keycap and the baseplate;
a function sheet disposed on or under the baseplate, the function sheet comprising:
an upper circuit layer having a first copper contact point and a first copper wire electrically connected to the first copper contact point;
a spacer layer having a hole; and
a lower circuit layer having a second copper contact point and a second copper wire electrically connected to the second copper contact point; and

a light-emitting diode connected by a copper wire, the copper wire formed on a side of the upper circuit layer opposite to the first copper contact point and the first copper wire, or formed on a side of the lower circuit layer opposite to the second copper contact point and the second copper wire, the light-emitting diode located within a vertical projection of the keycap,
wherein when the keycap is pressed, the first copper contact point passes through the hole to electrically connect the second copper contact point.

Assignees

• Darfon Electronics Corp

Inventors

• Chen Chih-Hung
• Ho Hsin-Cheng

Classifications

• H01H2219/04

  Attachments; Connections · CPC title

• H01H2215/006

  Only mechanical function · CPC title

• H01H2219/028

  Printed information · CPC title

• H01H1/02

  characterised by the material thereof {(containing gas-evolving material H01H33/765)} · CPC title

• H01H2227/036

  Minimise height · CPC title