Keyswitch assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11735379-B2
Application number	US-202217715143-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 7, 2022
Priority date	Apr 7, 2021
Publication date	Aug 22, 2023
Grant date	Aug 22, 2023

Abstract

A keyswitch assembly includes a switch module, a support mechanism, a blocking mechanism, an enhancing light source, and a backlight source. The switch module includes a substrate, a signal generator, and a signal sensor. The signal generator generates a sensing signal. The signal sensor receives the sensing signal to obtain a sensing strength. The support mechanism is disposed on the substrate. The blocking mechanism is disposed on the substrate and has a light-permeable portion. A portion of the blocking mechanism inserts into or escapes from a gap between the signal generator and the signal sensor. The backlight source is disposed on the substrate and located outside the vertical projection of the blocking mechanism on the substrate. The enhancing light source is disposed on the substrate and located within the vertical projection of the blocking mechanism on the substrate and corresponds to the light-permeable portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A keyswitch assembly, comprising:
a switch module comprising a substrate, a signal generator, and a signal sensor, wherein the substrate has a top surface, the signal generator and the signal sensor are disposed on the substrate, the signal generator is configured to provide a sensing signal to the signal sensor, and the signal sensor is configured to receive the sensing signal to correspondingly obtain a sensing intensity;
a support mechanism disposed on the top surface, a top portion of the support mechanism moving along an up-down direction in response to a pressing force; and
a blocking mechanism disposed on the top surface, a portion of the blocking mechanism driven by movement of the top portion to insert into or escape from a gap between the signal generator and the signal sensor, so as to change a magnitude of the signal strength, wherein the blocking mechanism has a light-permeable portion;
a backlight source disposed on the top surface and located outside a vertical projection of the blocking mechanism on the top surface; and
an enhancing light source disposed on the top surface and located within the vertical projection of the blocking mechanism on the top surface and corresponding to the light-permeable portion.

2. The keyswitch assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a keycap disposed on the top portion of the support mechanism to be positioned over the top surface through support of the support mechanism, wherein the support mechanism supports the keycap to move up-down relative to the substrate; the backlight source and the enhancing light source are configured to emit light toward the keycap.

3. A keyswitch assembly, comprising:
a switch module comprising a substrate, a signal generator, and a signal sensor, wherein the substrate has a top surface, the signal generator and the signal sensor are disposed on a first region of the top surface, the signal generator is configured to provide a sensing signal to the signal sensor, and the signal sensor is configured to receive the sensing signal to correspondingly obtain a sensing intensity;
a support mechanism disposed on the top surface, a top portion of the support mechanism moving along an up-down direction in response to a pressing force; and
a blocking mechanism disposed on the first region of the top surface, a portion of the blocking mechanism driven by movement of the top portion to insert into or escape from a gap between the signal generator and the signal sensor, so as to change a magnitude of the signal strength; and
an enhancing light source disposed on the first region of the top surface.

4. The keyswitch assembly of claim 3 , further comprising a blocking portion disposed between the enhancing light source and the signal generator.

5. The keyswitch assembly of claim 3 , wherein the blocking mechanism has a light-permeable portion; the enhancing light source is located within a vertical projection of the blocking mechanism on the top surface and corresponding to the light-permeable portion.

6. The keyswitch assembly of claim 5 , wherein the enhancing light source is located within a vertical projection of the light-permeable portion on the top surface.

7. The keyswitch assembly of claim 3 , further comprising a keycap disposed on the top portion of the support mechanism to be positioned over the top surface through support of the support mechanism, wherein the support mechanism supports the keycap to move up-down relative to the substrate; the enhancing light source is configured to emit light toward the keycap.

8. The keyswitch assembly of claim 7 , further comprising a backlight source disposed on the top surface and located at a second region outside the first region, wherein the backlight source is configured to emit light toward the keycap, wherein the first region and the second region are divided by a resilient member.

9. The keyswitch assembly of claim 3 , wherein the signal generator and the signal sensor are a combination of a light emitter and a light receiver, or the signal generator and the signal sensor are a combination of a magnet and a Hall sensor.

10. The keyswitch assembly of claim 3 , wherein the signal generator, the signal sensor, and the enhancing light source are arranged along a signal path.

11. A keyswitch assembly, comprising:
a switch module comprising a substrate, a signal generator, and a signal sensor;
a support mechanism disposed on the substrate, the support mechanism having two opposite keycap ends, the two keycap ends simultaneously moving along an up-down direction in response to a pressing force; and
a resilient member traversely connecting the two keycap ends, an orthographic projection of the resilient member dividing a stereoscopic space above the substrate into a first region and a second region;
a backlight source and an enhancing light source respectively disposed on the substrate; and
a blocking mechanism disposed over the substrate, a portion of the blocking mechanism driven by movement of the support mechanism to interfere in a signal path between the signal generator and the signal sensor,
wherein the enhancing light source, the signal generator, and the signal sensor are all located at the first region.

12. The keyswitch assembly of claim 11 , wherein an enhancing light generated by the enhancing light source transmits through a light-permeable portion of the blocking mechanism to irradiate upward through the first region.

13. The keyswitch assembly of claim 11 , wherein the backlight source is located at the second region.

14. The keyswitch assembly of claim 11 , further comprising a shielding member covering the signal generator and the signal sensor.

15. The keyswitch assembly of claim 14 , wherein the shielding member has a window for the portion of the blocking mechanism to interfere the signal path.

16. The keyswitch assembly of claim 14 , wherein the shielding member comprises a blocking portion disposed between the enhancing light source and the signal generator.

17. The keyswitch assembly of claim 14 , wherein the shielding member comprises a pre-shielding wall disposed between the signal generator and the signal sensor to partially block the signal path.

18. The keyswitch assembly of claim 17 , wherein the blocking mechanism comprises a blocking piece, and the blocking piece at least partially overlaps with the pre-shielding wall when the blocking piece inserts between the signal generator and the signal sensor.

19. The keyswitch assembly of claim 17 , wherein the shorter the pre-shielding wall is, the larger a change of signal sensing intensity the signal sensor receives.

20. The keyswitch assembly of claim 17 , wherein the higher the pre-shielding wall is, the smaller a change of signal sensing intensity the signal sensor receives.

Assignees

• Darfon Electronics Corp

Inventors

• Chang Li-Te
• Chen Chih-Hung
• Chen Yen-Ting

Classifications

• H01H13/14 Primary

  Operating parts, e.g. push-button · CPC title

• H01H13/20

  Driving mechanisms · CPC title

• H03K17/968 Primary

  using opto-electronic devices · CPC title

• H01H3/122

  with enlarged actuating area, e.g. of the elongated bar-type; Stabilising means therefor · CPC title

• H01H2219/056

  Diffuser; Uneven surface · CPC title