Keyboard device with display panel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12068119-B2
Application number	US-202318493786-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 24, 2023
Priority date	May 31, 2021
Publication date	Aug 20, 2024
Grant date	Aug 20, 2024

Abstract

A keyboard device with a display panel including a base, a scissors feet assembly movably disposed on the base, an elastic member disposed on the base, a display panel supported by the scissors feet assembly and the elastic member, and multiple light transmittance keycaps disposed on the display panel is provided. The display panel has multiple display surfaces, multiple hollow portions, and multiple elastic portions. Each of the display surfaces is surrounded by the hollow portions, and is suspended between the hollow portions by the elastic portions. The light transmittance keycaps respectively and correspondingly cover the display surfaces.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A keyboard device with a display panel, comprising:
a base;
a scissors feet assembly disposed on the base;
an elastic member disposed on the base;
a display panel disposed on the scissors feet assembly and the elastic member, wherein the display panel has a base and a plurality of plateau portions, the plateau portions are raised from the base portion, arranged in an array, and independent from each other, each of the plurality of plateau portions has a display surface, and the display surface is supported on the scissors feet assembly and the elastic member; and
a plurality of light transmittance keycaps disposed on the plurality of display surfaces respectively.

2. The keyboard device with the display panel according to claim 1 , wherein the display panel has formability to form the plurality of plateau portions with contours that conform to inner contours of the plurality of light transmittance keycaps.

3. The keyboard device with the display panel according to claim 1 , wherein the display panel further has a plurality of elastic portions, each of the plurality of plateau portions is connected to the base portion via at least one of the elastic portions.

4. The keyboard device with the display panel according to claim 3 , wherein the display panel further has a plurality hollow portions, and each of the plurality of plateau portions is surrounded by the plurality of elastic portions and the plurality of hollow portions alternately.

5. The keyboard device with the display panel according to claim 3 , wherein each of the plurality of plateau portions is connected to another one of the plurality of plateau portions or the base portion through at least one of the elastic portions.

6. The keyboard device with the display panel according to claim 1 , wherein the display surface contacts an inner top surface of the light transmittance keycap.

7. The keyboard device with the display panel according to claim 3 , wherein the plurality of elastic portions are coplanar with the plurality of display surfaces.

8. The keyboard device with the display panel according to claim 3 , wherein the display panel has a plurality of connecting conductive lines electrically connected between the plurality of display surfaces through the plurality of elastic portions.

9. The keyboard device with the display panel according to claim 3 , wherein a plurality of turning corners of each of the plurality of light transmittance keycaps are respectively supported on the plurality of elastic portions.

10. The keyboard device with the display panel according to claim 4 , wherein portions of a plurality of bottom side edges of each of the plurality of light transmittance keycaps are respectively located on the plurality of hollow portions.

11. The keyboard device with the display panel according to claim 1 , wherein the display panel is an electronic paper or a display module with electronic ink.

12. The keyboard device with the display panel according to claim 1 , wherein the scissors feet assembly comprises a pair of brackets respectively pivoted on the base and pivotally connected to each other, and a top plate pivotally connected to the pair of brackets and supported by the pair of brackets, wherein each of the display surfaces is located between the top plate and the light transmittance keycap.

Assignees

• Acer Inc

Inventors

• Chen Hung-Chi
• Lin Kung-Cheng
• Chen Chih-Chiang

Classifications

• H01H13/83 Primary

  characterised by legends, e.g. Braille, liquid crystal displays, light emitting or optical elements · CPC title

• H01H2221/044

  Elastic part on actuator or casing · CPC title

• H01H2219/054

  Optical elements · CPC title

• H01H2219/0023

  Images formed with electrophoretic technology, e.g. by charged pigment particles rearranged by applied electric field, e.g. electronic paper or e-paper, active ink · CPC title

• H01H13/7065 Primary

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