Keyswitch and keyboard capable of showing movement depth

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10297405-B2
Application number	US-201715491990-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 20, 2017
Priority date	Nov 15, 2016
Publication date	May 21, 2019
Grant date	May 21, 2019

Abstract

A keyboard has a keyswitch capable of showing its movement depth. The keyswitch includes a substrate, a lifting unit, a multistage positioning component and a keycap. The lifting unit is disposed on the substrate. The multistage positioning component is disposed on the substrate and has a plurality of first actuating portions. The keycap is connected with the lifting unit and adjacent by the multistage positioning component. The keycap has a second actuating portion. The keycap is moved relative to the substrate via the lifting unit, and the second actuating portion can contact against one of the plurality of first actuating portions to generate a feedback signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A keyswitch for showing a movement depth, the keyswitch comprising:
a substrate;
a lifting unit disposed on the substrate;
a multistage positioning component disposed on the substrate, the multistage positioning component having a plurality of first actuating portions; and
a keycap connected with the lifting unit and disposed adjacent to the multistage positioning component, the keycap having a second actuating portion, the keycap being moved relative to the substrate via the lifting unit and the second actuating portion contacting against one of the plurality of first actuating portions to generate a feedback signal.

2. The keyswitch of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of first actuating portions and the second actuating portion is made of resilient material.

3. The keyswitch of claim 1 , wherein a supporting component is disposed on the substrate, and the keycap is partly disposed inside the supporting component in a movable manner.

4. The keyswitch of claim 1 , wherein the multistage positioning component is an elastic piece, the plurality of first actuating portions respectively are curved structures, the curved structures are arranged on a body of the multistage positioning component at a moving direction of the keycap.

5. The keyswitch of claim 4 , wherein a fixing end of the multistage positioning component is connected to the substrate, and a free end of the multistage positioning component points toward the keycap.

6. The keyswitch of claim 4 , wherein two opposite ends of the multistage positioning component are respectively disposed on an inner wall of a supporting component, and the supporting component is located between the substrate and the keycap.

7. The keyswitch of claim 1 , further comprising:
a processing unit disposed on the substrate, the processing unit analyzing a moving distance of the keycap relative to the substrate or analyzing a contact relation between the second actuating portion and one of the plurality of first actuating portions to acquire input information while the keyswitch is pressed.

8. The keyswitch of claim 7 , further comprising:
an optical detecting unit disposed on the substrate and electrically connected to the processing unit, the optical detecting unit being adapted to detect a movement of the keycap relative to the substrate.

9. The keyswitch of claim 7 , wherein the multistage positioning component is an electrode module, the plurality of first actuating portions respectively are electrode terminals, the electrode terminals are arranged on an inner wall of a supporting component at a moving direction of the keycap, and the supporting component is located between the substrate and the keycap.

10. The keyswitch of claim 9 , wherein the second actuating portion is made of conductive material, the processing unit is electrically connected to the electrode terminals, the processing unit analyzes the feedback signal generated by contact between the second actuating portion and one of the electrode terminals to acquire the input information while the keyswitch is pressed.

11. A keyboard for showing a movement depth, the keyboard comprising:
a substrate; and
a plurality of keyswitches disposed on the substrate, each keyswitch comprising:
a lifting unit disposed on the substrate;
a multistage positioning component disposed on the substrate, the multistage positioning component having a plurality of first actuating portions; and
a keycap connected with the lifting unit and disposed adjacent to the multistage positioning component, the keycap having a second actuating portion, the keycap being moved relative to the substrate via the lifting unit and the second actuating portion contacting against one of the plurality of first actuating portions to generate a feedback signal.

12. The keyboard of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the plurality of first actuating portions and the second actuating portion is made of resilient material.

13. The keyboard of claim 11 , wherein a supporting component is disposed on the substrate, and the keycap is partly disposed inside the supporting component in a movable manner.

14. The keyboard of claim 11 , wherein the multistage positioning component is an elastic piece, the plurality of first actuating portions respectively are curved structures, the curved structures are arranged on a body of the multistage positioning component at a moving direction of the keycap.

15. The keyboard of claim 14 , wherein a fixing end of the multistage positioning component is connected to the substrate, and a free end of the multistage positioning component points toward the keycap.

16. The keyboard of claim 14 , wherein two opposite ends of the multistage positioning component are respectively disposed on an inner wall of a supporting component, and the supporting component is located between the substrate and the keycap.

17. The keyboard of claim 11 , further comprising:
a processing unit disposed on the substrate, the processing unit analyzing moving distances of keycaps of the plurality of keyswitches relative to the substrate or analyzing a contact relation between second actuating portions of the keycaps of the plurality of keyswitches and corresponding first actuating portions of the plurality of first actuating portions to acquire input information while the plurality of keyswitches is pressed.

18. The keyboard of claim 17 , wherein the each keyswitch comprises an optical detecting unit disposed on the substrate and electrically connected to the processing unit, the optical detecting unit is adapted to detect a movement of the keycap relative to the substrate.

19. The keyboard of claim 17 , wherein the multistage positioning component is an electrode module, the plurality of first actuating portions respectively are electrode terminals, the electrode terminals are arranged on an inner wall of a supporting component at a moving direction of the keycap, and the supporting component is located between the substrate and the keycap.

20. The keyboard of claim 19 , wherein the second actuating portion is made of conductive material, the processing unit is electrically connected to the electrode terminals, the processing unit analyzes the feedback signal generated by contact between the second actuating portion and one of the electrode terminals to acquire the input information while the keyswitch is pressed.

Assignees

• Pixart Imaging Inc

Inventors

• Wang Tsung-Fa
• Kuo Shih-Wei

Classifications

• H01H2215/028

  alterable · CPC title

• H01H3/125

  using a scissor mechanism as stabiliser · CPC title

• H01H13/85 Primary

  characterised by tactile feedback features · CPC title

• H01H15/102

  comprising cam devices · CPC title

• H01H2239/022

  with opto-electronic switch · CPC title