Key structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10488943-B2
Application number	US-201816189989-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2018
Priority date	Jan 12, 2018
Publication date	Nov 26, 2019
Grant date	Nov 26, 2019

Abstract

A key structure includes a base plate, a structural plate, a sound generation assembly and a keycap. The structural plate is installed on the base plate. The sound generation assembly includes a shaft body and a cantilever element. The cantilever element is protruded from a side of the shaft body. The structural plate is covered by the keycap. The keycap includes a first protrusion post and a second protrusion post. A first space and a second space are formed between the first protrusion post and the second protrusion post. The first space and the second space are not aligned with each other. The cantilever element is movable within the first space and the second space. Consequently, the feedback of a click sound is generated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A key structure, comprising:
a base plate;
a structural plate installed on the base plate, and comprising a slot;
a sound generation assembly comprising a shaft body, a cantilever element and an elastic element, wherein an end of the shaft body is connected with the base plate, a side of the shaft body is penetrated through the slot, the cantilever element is protruded from another side of the shaft body, and a first end of the elastic element is connected with the shaft body;
a keycap aligned with the structural plate, wherein a second end of the elastic element is away from the shaft body and connected with the keycap, a first protrusion post and a second protrusion post are disposed on a bottom surface of the keycap, the first protrusion post and the second protrusion post are penetrated through the slot, a first space is formed between a lower end of the first protrusion post and a lower end of the second protrusion post, a second space is formed between an upper end of the first protrusion post and an upper end of the second protrusion post near the keycap, the second space is in communication with the first space, and the first space and the second space are not aligned with each other, wherein the cantilever element is received within the first space and movable within the first space and the second space; and
an elastic mechanism arranged between the keycap and the structural plate, wherein a first side and a second side of the elastic mechanism are connected with the structural plate and the keycap, respectively,
wherein while the keycap is moved upwardly, a bottom surface of the first protrusion post presses the cantilever element and provides a downward force to the cantilever element, wherein in response to the downward force, the cantilever element is moved along the bottom surface of the first protrusion post and moved from the first space to the second space, wherein when the cantilever element is just moved into the second space, the cantilever element rocks and knocks on the second protrusion post to generate a click sound.

2. The key structure according to claim 1 , wherein a side of the lower end of the first protrusion post near the second protrusion post has a guiding slant, and a side of the lower end of the second protrusion post facing the first protrusion post has a clicking part, wherein the first space is formed between the guiding slant and clicking part, and the first space is arranged between the guiding slant and the clicking part, wherein while the cantilever element is moved along the guiding slant, the cantilever element knocks on the clicking part.

3. The key structure according to claim 2 , wherein a side of the cantilever element away from the shaft body has a pressing slant, wherein the pressing slant is slidably contacted with the guiding slant and movable along the guiding slant.

4. The key structure according to claim 3 , wherein a side of the clicking part near the guiding slant has a clicking slant, wherein the clicking slant and the guiding slant are in parallel with each other, and the cantilever element is permitted to knock on the clicking slant.

5. The key structure according to claim 1 , wherein the shaft body comprises a pedestal and a bulge, and the bulge is protruded from the pedestal, wherein the cantilever element is protruded from a side of the pedestal near the bulge, the pedestal is penetrated through the slot, and an end of the pedestal away from the bulge is connected with the base plate, wherein the elastic element is sheathed around the bulge and clamped between the pedestal and the keycap, the first end of the elastic element is fixed on the pedestal, and the second end of the elastic element is fixed on the keycap.

6. The key structure according to claim 5 , wherein the sound generation assembly further comprises a fixing seat, wherein a first end of the fixing seat is connected with the base plate, a second end of the fixing seat is connected with an end of the pedestal away from the bulge, and the pedestal is fixed on the base plate through the fixing seat.

7. The key structure according to claim 5 , wherein the elastic mechanism further comprises a thin film layer and an elastomer, wherein the thin film layer covers a top surface of the structural plate, and the thin film layer comprises a perforation, wherein the bulge, the elastic element, the first protrusion post and the second protrusion post are penetrated through the perforation of the thin film layer, a first end of the elastomer is connected with the thin film layer, and a second end of the elastomer is connected with the keycap.

8. The key structure according to claim 7 , wherein the elastomer is dome-shaped, a ring-shaped convex structure is externally extended from a bottom side of the elastomer, the ring-shaped convex structure is connected with the thin film layer, and a top side of the elastomer is connected with the keycap.

9. The key structure according to claim 7 , wherein the key structure further comprises an inner supporting frame and an outer supporting frame, wherein the outer supporting frame is coupled to an external portion of the inner supporting frame, a middle region of a frame body of the outer supporting frame is pivotally coupled to a middle region of a frame body of the inner supporting frame, the inner supporting frame comprises a first inner coupling part and a second inner coupling part, the first inner coupling part and the second inner coupling part are respectively located at two opposite sides of the inner supporting frame, the outer supporting frame comprises a first outer coupling part and a second outer coupling part, and the first outer coupling part and the second outer coupling part are respectively located at two opposite sides of the outer supporting frame, wherein the first inner coupling part is pivotally coupled to the keycap, the second inner coupling part is pivotally coupled with the structural plate, the first outer coupling part is pivotally coupled to the structural plate, and the second outer coupling part is pivotally coupled to the keycap.

10. The key structure according to claim 9 , wherein the slot is formed in a side of the structural plate, and the structural plate comprises two first coupling brackets and two second coupling brackets, wherein the two first coupling brackets are disposed on the structural plate and located near the slot, the two second coupling brackets are disposed on the structural plate and located away from the slot, two ends of the first outer coupling part are respectively pivotally coupled to the two first coupling brackets, and two ends of the second inner coupling part are respectively pivotally coupled to the two second coupling brackets.

11. The key structure according to claim 10 , wherein the thin film layer further comprises a first opening and a second opening, wherein the perforation is located over the slot, the first opening is formed in a side of the thin film layer near the perforation, the first opening is in communication with the perforation, the second opening is formed in a side of the thin film layer away from the perforation, the two first coupling brackets and the first outer coupling part are penetrated through the first opening, and the two second coupling brackets and the second inner coupling part are penetrated through the second opening.

12. The key structure according to claim 11 , wherein the structural plate further comprises a recess, wherein the recess is arranged between the two first coupling brackets, and the first outer coupling part is received within the recess.

13. The key structure according to claim 7 , wherein

Assignees

• Primax Electronics Ltd

Inventors

• Jhuang Chuang-Shu
• Zeng Zhi-Hui

Classifications

• H01H2215/03

  Sound · CPC title

• H01H13/84

  characterised by ergonomic functions, e.g. for miniature keyboards; characterised by operational sensory functions, e.g. sound feedback (legends H01H13/83) · CPC title

• H01H13/7065

  characterised by the mechanism between keys and layered keyboards · CPC title

• H01H13/705

  characterised by construction, mounting or arrangement of operating parts, e.g. push-buttons or keys · CPC title

• H01H3/125 Primary

  using a scissor mechanism as stabiliser · CPC title