Keyswitch and keyboard thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9236205-B2
Application number	US-201414185886-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 20, 2014
Priority date	Feb 21, 2013
Publication date	Jan 12, 2016
Grant date	Jan 12, 2016

Abstract

A keyswitch includes a cap, a board, first and second support members rotatably connected to the cap and the board, a seesaw member, and a magnetic member. The seesaw member movably supports at least one of the cap and the first and second support members. The magnetic member is disposed on the board corresponding to the seesaw member. When the cap is pressed, the at least one of the cap and the first and second support members drives the seesaw member to raise and the cap moves from a non-pressed position to a pressed position. When the cap is released, a magnetic attraction force between the magnetic member and the seesaw member drives the seesaw member to raise for lifting the at least one of the cap and the first and second support members, so as to move the cap back to the non-pressed position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A keyswitch comprising:
a cap;
a board;
a first support member rotatably connected to the cap and rotatably connected to the board for rotating around a first rotating shaft on the board;
a second support member rotatably connected to the cap and rotatably connected to the board, the cap moving between a non-pressed position and a pressed position relative to the board with rotation of the first support member and the second support member;
a seesaw member having a pressing arm portion, a magnetic arm portion, and a fulcrum portion, the seesaw member movably supporting at least one of the cap, the first support member and the second support member, the fulcrum member being connected to the pressing arm portion and the magnetic arm portion and rotatably connected to the board, the seesaw member rotating around a second rotating shaft on the board, the second support member rotating around a third rotating shaft on the board; and
a magnetic member disposed on the board corresponding to the magnetic arm portion;
wherein when the cap is pressed by an external force and the external force could overcome a magnetic attraction force between the magnetic member and the magnetic arm portion, the at least one of the cap, the first support member and the second support member moves downward to abut against the pressing arm portion for making the seesaw member rotate around the fulcrum portion, so that the magnetic arm portion could be driven to raise relative to the board and the cap could move from the non-pressed position to the pressed position; when the cap is released, the magnetic attraction force between the magnetic member and the magnetic arm portion drives the seesaw member to rotate around the fulcrum portion and then be absorbed onto the magnetic member for making the pressing arm portion raise relative to the board, so that the pressing arm portion could lift the at least one of the cap, the first support member and the second support member to make the cap move from the pressing position back to the non-pressed position.

2. The keyswitch of claim 1 , wherein one of the magnetic member and the magnetic arm portion is a magnet, and the other one of the magnetic member and the magnetic arm portion is a magnet or is made of magnetic material.

3. The keyswitch of claim 1 , wherein the pressing arm portion, the fulcrum portion, and the magnetic arm portion substantially form a T-shaped structure to make the pressing arm portion located between the first support member and the second support member, the pressing arm portion has a first abutting end and a second abutting end, the first abutting end abuts against the first support member or the cap, and the second abutting end abuts against the second support member or the cap.

4. The keyswitch of claim 3 , wherein the pressing arm portion is made of magnetic material, the magnetic member is a magnet, the magnetic member extends toward the pressing arm portion to be partially overlapped with the pressing arm portion, and a magnetic attraction force between the pressing arm portion and the magnetic arm portion makes the cap speed up to the pressed position when the cap is pressed by the external force to make the pressing arm portion approach the magnetic member.

5. The keyswitch of claim 1 , wherein the pressing arm portion, the fulcrum portion, and the magnetic arm portion substantially form a U-shaped structure to be located outside the first support member and the second support member, the pressing arm portion has a first abutting end and a second abutting end, the first abutting end abuts against the first support member or the cap, and the second abutting end abuts against the second support member or the cap.

6. The keyswitch of claim. 1 , wherein the board further has a limiting arm portion, the first support member has a limiting block corresponding to the limiting arm portion, and the limiting arm portion is used for blocking the limiting block to limit a height of the cap relative to the board.

7. The keyswitch of claim 1 further comprising:
a light guide plate disposed under the board, the board having a plurality of holes; and
a light emitting unit disposed at a side of the light guide plate for emitting light to pass through the plurality of holes via the light guide plate and then be emitted out of the cap.

8. The keyswitch of claim 1 , wherein the first rotating shaft is substantially parallel to the third rotating shaft, the second rotating shaft is substantially perpendicular to the first rotating shaft and the third rotating shaft, and the first rotating shaft, the second rotating shaft, and the third rotating shaft are arranged in a U-shape on the board.

9. A keyboard comprising:
a board; and
a plurality of keyswitches disposed on the board, at least one of the plurality of keyswitches comprising:
a cap;
a first support member rotatably connected to the cap and rotatably connected to the board;
a second support member rotatably connected to the cap and rotatably connected to the board, the cap moving between a non-pressed position and a pressed position relative to the board with rotation of the first support member and the second support member;
a seesaw member having a pressing arm portion, a magnetic arm portion, and a fulcrum portion, the seesaw member movably supporting at least one of the cap, the first support member, and the second support member, the fulcrum member being connected to the pressing arm portion and the magnetic arm portion and rotatably connected to the board; and
a magnetic member disposed on the board corresponding to the magnetic arm portion;

wherein when the cap is pressed by an external force and the external force could overcome a magnetic attraction force between the magnetic member and the magnetic arm portion, the at least one of the cap, the first support member, and the second support member moves downward to abut against the pressing arm portion to make the seesaw member rotate around the fulcrum portion, so that the magnetic arm portion could be driven to raise relative to the board and the cap could be moved from the non-pressed position to the pressed position; when the cap is released, the magnetic attraction force between the magnetic member and the magnetic arm portion drives the seesaw member to rotate around the fulcrum portion and then be absorbed onto the magnetic member for making the pressing arm portion raise relative to the board, so that the pressing arm portion could lift the at least one of the cap, the first support member and the second support member to make the cap move from the pressing position back to the non-pressed position.

10. The keyboard of claim 9 , wherein one of the magnetic member and the magnetic arm portion is a magnet, and the other one of the magnetic member and the magnetic arm portion is a magnet or is made of magnetic material.

11. The keyboard of claim 9 , wherein the pressing arm portion, the fulcrum portion, and the magnetic arm portion substantially form a T-shaped structure to make the pressing arm portion located between the first support member and the second support member, the pressing arm portion has a first abutting end and a second abutting end, the first abutting end abuts against the first support member or the cap, and the second abutting end abuts against the second support member or the cap.

12. The keyboard of claim 11 , wherein the pressing arm portion is made of magnetic material, the magnetic member is a magnet, the magnetic member extends toward the pressing arm portion to be partially overlapped with the pressing arm portion, and a magnetic attraction force between the pressing arm porti

Assignees

• Darfon Electronics Suzhou Co Ltd
• Darfon Electronics Corp

Inventors

• Hsu Chien-Shih
• Jou Zuei-Chown
• Chang Ching-Chuan

Classifications

• H01H13/52 Primary

  the contact returning to its original state immediately upon removal of operating force, e.g. bell-push switch · CPC title

• H01H13/7065

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

• H01H5/02

  Energy stored by the attraction or repulsion of magnetic parts · CPC title

• H01H13/83

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

• H01H2215/00

  Tactile feedback · CPC title