Keyswitch structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9412535-B2
Application number	US-201514819404-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2015
Priority date	Aug 21, 2014
Publication date	Aug 9, 2016
Grant date	Aug 9, 2016

Abstract

A keyswitch structure includes a base, a keycap, a lift mechanism, and a magnetic member. The keycap is capable of moving up and down relative to the base through the lift mechanism. The lift mechanism includes a support that has a side edge portion, abutting against the base through a sharp edge, and a magnetic portion at the side edge portion. The magnetic portion extends outward from the side edge portion. The support is movably connected to the keycap through another side edge portion of the support. The magnetic member is disposed on the base corresponding to the magnetic portion. The magnetic portion and the magnetic member produce a magnetic attraction force therebetween. When an external force applied to the keycap is eliminated, the magnetic attraction force drives the support to rotate about the sharp edge relative to the base, so that the keycap moves away from the base.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A keyswitch structure, comprising:
a base;
a keycap;
a lift mechanism disposed between the base and the keycap, the keycap being capable of moving up and down in a vertical direction relative to the base through the lift mechanism, the lift mechanism comprising a first support, the first support having a first side edge portion, a second side edge portion opposite to the first side edge portion, and a first magnetic portion, the first side edge portion keeping abutting against the base through a sharp edge, the second side edge portion being movably connected with the keycap, the first magnetic portion extending outward from the first side edge portion; and
a first magnetic member, disposed on the base corresponding to the first magnetic portion, the first magnetic member and the first magnetic portion producing a magnetic attraction force therebetween, when the keycap is pressed by an external force, the first support rotating about the sharp edge relative to the base, so that the first magnetic portion moves away from the first magnetic member and the keycap approaches the base, when the external force is eliminated, the magnetic attraction force driving the first support to rotate about the sharp edge relative to the base so that the keycap moves away from the base.

2. The keyswitch structure of claim 1 , wherein the sharp edge is disposed at the first side edge portion or the base.

3. The keyswitch structure of claim 1 , wherein the lift mechanism comprises a second support disposed opposite to the first support, the second support has a third side edge portion and a fourth side edge portion opposite to the third side edge portion, the third side edge portion keeps abutting against the base, and the fourth side edge portion is movably connected with the keycap.

4. The keyswitch structure of claim 3 , wherein the second support further comprises an abutting portion extending outward from the third side edge portion, and the abutting portion abuts against the first support.

5. The keyswitch structure of claim 4 , wherein the abutting portion is located between the first magnetic portion and the base.

6. The keyswitch structure of claim 4 , wherein the base comprises two positioning structures, the first support comprises a positioning structure adjacent to the first magnetic portion, the second support comprises a positioning structure adjacent to the abutting portion, and the two positioning structures of the base are engaged with the two positioning structures of the first support and the second support respectively.

7. The keyswitch structure of claim 4 , further comprising a second magnetic member disposed on the base between the first support and the second support, wherein the first support has a second magnetic portion corresponding to the second magnetic member, the second magnetic portion and the second magnetic member produce a magnetic attraction force therebetween for driving the first side edge portion to abut against the base, the second support has a third magnetic portion facing the second magnetic member, and the third magnetic portion and the second magnetic member produce a magnetic attraction force therebetween for driving the third side edge portion to abut against the base.

8. The keyswitch structure of claim 1 , further comprising a second magnetic member disposed on the base under the first side edge portion, wherein the first support has a second magnetic portion facing the second magnetic member, and the second magnetic portion and the second magnetic member produce a magnetic attraction force therebetween for driving the first side edge portion to abut against the base.

9. The keyswitch structure of claim 1 , further comprising two second magnetic members disposed on the base under the first side edge portion, the first magnetic member being located between the two second magnetic members, wherein the first support has two second magnetic portions facing the two second magnetic members respectively, and the two second magnetic portions and the two second magnetic members produce magnetic attraction forces therebetween for driving the first side edge portion to abut against the base.

10. The keyswitch structure of claim 9 , wherein the first magnetic member and the two second magnetic member are arranged in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, the sharp edge extends in the horizontal direction, and the first magnetic portion is located at a middle portion of the first side edge portion.

11. The keyswitch structure of claim 1 , wherein the base comprises a horizontal constraining structure, the sharp edge extends in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, the first support comprises a constrained structure, and the horizontal constraining structure constrains the constrained structure so that a movement of the first support in the horizontal direction is limited.

12. The keyswitch structure of claim 11 , wherein the constrained structure comprises two protrusions protruding from the first side edge portion, the horizontal constraining structure comprises two blocking parts, the two protrusions are located between the two blocking parts, and the two blocking parts block the two protrusions in the horizontal direction.

13. The keyswitch structure of claim 12 , wherein the first magnetic portion is located between the two protrusions.

14. The keyswitch structure of claim 1 , wherein the base comprises a vertical constraining structure, the keycap comprises a constrained structure, and the vertical constraining structure constrains the constrained structure so that a movement of the keycap in the vertical direction is limited.

15. The keyswitch structure of claim 1 , wherein the base comprises a vertical guiding structure, the keycap comprises a vertical guided structure, and the vertical guided structure of the keycap slides limitedly in the vertical guiding structure as the keycap moves up and down relative to the base in the vertical direction.

16. The keyswitch structure of claim 1 , wherein the lift mechanism comprises a third support connected to the base and the keycap, when the keycap moves up and down relative to the base in the vertical direction through the lift mechanism, the first support rotates about a first rotation axis relative to the base, the third support rotates about a second rotation axis relative to the base, the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis are not parallel, and the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis are perpendicular to the vertical direction.

17. A keyswitch structure, comprising:
a base;
a keycap;
a first support having a first side edge portion, a second side edge portion opposite to the first side edge portion, and a first magnetic portion, the first side edge portion keeping abutting against the base, the second side edge portion being movably connected to the keycap, the first magnetic portion extending outward from the first side edge portion;
a second support disposed opposite to the first support, the second support having a third side edge portion and a fourth side edge portion opposite to the third side edge portion, the third side edge portion keeping abutting against the base, the fourth side edge portion being movably connected to the keycap; and
a first magnetic member, disposed on the base corresponding to the first magnetic portion, the first magnetic member and the first magnetic portion producing a magnetic attraction force therebetween, when the keycap is pressed by an external force, the first support rotating ab

Assignees

• Darfon Electronics Corp

Inventors

• Hsu Chien-Shih

Classifications

• H01H2227/032

  Operating force · CPC title

• H01H13/14 Primary

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

• H01H2215/00

  Tactile feedback · CPC title

• H01H2221/058

  to avoid tilting or skewing of contact area or actuator · CPC title

• H01H3/122

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