Key module and keyboard having the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9455096-B2
Application number	US-201414263198-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2014
Priority date	Oct 16, 2013
Publication date	Sep 27, 2016
Grant date	Sep 27, 2016

Abstract

A key module and a keyboard having the key module are provided. The key module includes a base, a scissor-type unit and a keycap. The scissor-type unit has a first frame and a second frame. The first frame has a connection shaft rotatably pivotally connected to a shaft hole of the second frame. The shaft hole has a travel distance therein for the shaft to move within the shaft hole along a predetermined direction. The first and second frames respectively have a first side pivotally connected to a pivot connection unit of the key cap, and a second side slidably connected to a restricting unit of the base. Through the above-mentioned design, the first frame can rotate with respect to the second frame, so that the keycap can move up and down with respect to the base.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A key module, comprising:
a base having a restricting unit, wherein the restricting unit includes at least one first sliding connection portion and at least one second sliding connection portion, wherein the at least one first sliding connection portion forms an opening facing a first side of the base, wherein the at least one second sliding connection portion forms an opening facing a second side of the base opposite to the first side, wherein each of the sliding connection portions is L-shaped, and has a first portion erected relative to the base and a second portion bent from the first portion;
a scissor-type unit disposed on and connected to the base, and having a first frame and a second frame, wherein the first frame and the second frame each have two fixed-rotation shafts and at least one sliding shaft, wherein the first frame has a connection shaft, the second frame has a shaft hole, the first frame is rotatably connected to the second frame through an accommodation of the connection shaft in the shaft hole, and the shaft hole has a travel distance therein provided for the connection shaft to move within the shaft hole along a predetermined direction; wherein the connection shaft travels along the predetermined direction in the shaft hole with substantially one degree of freedom;
wherein the at least one sliding shaft of the first frame is restricted by and slidably disposed in the opening of the at least one first sliding connection portion on the base, wherein the at least one sliding shaft of the first frame is disposed on a top surface of the base;
wherein the at least one sliding shaft of the second frame is restricted by and slidably disposed in the opening of the at least one second sliding connection portion on the base, wherein the at least one sliding shaft of the second frame is disposed on a top surface of the base;
wherein the at least one sliding shaft of the first frame and the at least one sliding shaft of the second frame have a variable distance therebetween during the keycap is pressing; and
a keycap disposed on and connected to the scissor-type unit, wherein the keycap has a pivot connection unit formed on a bottom surface thereof, wherein the pivot connection unit includes two first pivot connection portions and two second pivot connection portions;

wherein the two fixed-rotation shafts of the first frame are rotatably connected to the first pivot connection portions of the keycap;
wherein the two fixed-rotation shafts of the second frame are rotatably connected to the second pivot connection portions of the keycap;
wherein the fixed-rotation shafts of the first frame and the fixed-rotation shafts of the second frame connected to the keycap have a constant distance therebetween when the keycap is pressing;
wherein through the respective pivotal connections of the first side of the first frame and the first side of the second frame to the pivot connection unit, the respective slidable arrangement of the second side of the first frame and the second side of the first frame at the restricting unit, and the movement of the connection shaft within the shaft hole, the first frame rotates with respect to the second frame and the keycap moves up and down with respect to the base;
wherein when the keycap is downward pressed a maximum vertical travel distance, a distance from a bottom surface of the keycap to the top surface of the base is equal to a thickness of the second portion of a sliding connection portion and a diameter of the sliding shaft of the first frame.

2. The key module according to claim 1 , wherein the shaft hole is an elongated groove having a first contact face and a second contact face opposite to each other, for guiding the connection shaft in the shaft hole to travel between the first contact face and the second contact face along the predetermined direction.

3. The key module according to claim 1 , further comprising an elastic body and a thin-film printed circuit board, wherein the elastic body is disposed between the keycap and the base for supporting the keycap to move with respect to the base, and the thin-film printed circuit board is disposed between the elastic body and the base for producing a drive signal when pressed by the elastic body.

4. A keyboard comprising:
a base having a plurality of restricting units, wherein each of the restricting units includes at least one first sliding connection portion and at least one second sliding connection portion, wherein the at least one first sliding connection portion forms an opening facing a first side of the base, wherein the at least one second sliding connection portion forms an opening facing a second side of the base opposite to the first side, wherein each of the sliding connection portions is L-shaped, and has a first portion erected relative to the base and a second portion bent from the first portion;
a plurality of scissor-type units disposed on and connected to the base, and each having a first frame and a second frame, wherein the first frame and the second frame each have two fixed-rotation shafts and at least one sliding shaft, wherein each of the first frames has a connection shaft, each of the second frames has a shaft hole, each of the first frames is rotatably connected to one of the second frames through an accommodation of the respective connection shaft in the respective shaft hole, and the shaft hole has a travel distance therein provided for the connection shaft to travel within the shaft hole along a predetermined direction;
wherein the connection shaft travels along the predetermined direction in the shaft hole with substantially one degree of freedom;
wherein the at least one sliding shaft of the first frame is restricted by and slidably disposed in the opening of the at least one first sliding connection portion on the base, wherein the at least one sliding shaft of the first frame is disposed on a top surface of the base;
wherein the at least one sliding shaft of the second frame is restricted by and slidably disposed in the opening of the at least one second sliding connection portion on the base;
wherein the at least one sliding shaft of the first frame and the at least one sliding shaft of the second frame have a variable distance therebetween during the keycap is pressing, wherein the at least one sliding shaft of the second frame is disposed on a top surface of the base;
a plurality of keycap respectively disposed on and connected to the scissor-type units, and each of the keycaps has a pivot connection unit formed on a bottom surface thereof, wherein the pivot connection unit includes two first pivot connection portions and two second pivot connection portions;
wherein the two fixed-rotation shafts of the first frame are rotatably connected to the first pivot connection portions of the keycap;
wherein the two fixed-rotation shafts of the second frame are rotatably connected to the second pivot connection portions of the keycap;
wherein the fixed-rotation shafts of the first frame and the fixed-rotation shafts of the second frame connected to the keycap have a constant distance therebetween when the keycap is pressing;
a plurality of elastic bodies respectively disposed at the undersides of the keycaps; and
a thin-film printed circuit board disposed on the base and corresponding to the keycaps;
wherein through the respective pivotal connections of the first sides of the first frames and the first sides of the second frames to the pivot connection units, the respective slidable arrangement of the second sides of the first frames and the second sides of the first frames at the restricting units, and the movements of the connection shafts within the shaft holes, the first frames rotate with respect to the respective second frames and the keycaps move up and down with respect to

Assignees

• Lite On Electronics Guangzhou Ltd
• Lite On Technology Corp

Inventors

• Chen Chun-Lin

Classifications

• H01H3/125 Primary

  using a scissor mechanism as stabiliser · CPC title

• H01H2201/014

  Conductive gas · CPC title

• H01H13/705

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