Low-travel key mechanisms using butterfly hinges

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9502193-B2
Application number	US-201414499209-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2014
Priority date	Oct 30, 2012
Publication date	Nov 22, 2016
Grant date	Nov 22, 2016

Abstract

A key mechanism including one or more butterfly hinges. Each butterfly hinge may include a double wing design operative to move between a depressed position and non-depressed position. Hinged coupling mechanisms couple respective arms of the wings together. Additionally or alternatively, a key mechanism can include one or more half-butterfly hinges. Each half-butterfly hinge includes a double wing design operative to move between a depressed position and non-depressed position. A hinged coupling mechanism couples one set of corresponding arms of the wings together, while the other set of corresponding arms are not coupled together.

First claim

We claim:

1. A key mechanism, comprising:
a keycap assembly;
a support structure;
a half-butterfly hinge comprising two wings positioned adjacent to each other such that a cavity is formed between the two wings, each wing comprising:
a major arm;
a minor arm shorter than the major arm;
a pair of pivot pins coupled to the support structure; and
a pair of keycap pins coupled to the keycap assembly;

a switch coupled to the support structure and within the cavity such that the keycap assembly engages with the switch through the cavity when the keycap assembly is depressed; and
a coupling mechanism coupling the major arms of the half-butterfly hinge together.

2. The key mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the switch comprises an upper conductive deformable structure disposed over a lower conductive deformable structure, wherein the switch is closed when the upper conductive deformable structure comes in contact with the lower conductive deformable structure.

3. The key mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the pivot pins of a first wing of the two wings is coupled to the support structure by a c-clip retaining member and the pivot pins of a second wing of the two wings is coupled to the support structure by an L-shaped retaining member.

4. The key mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the pivot pins of a first wing of the two wings is coupled to the support structure by a c-clip retaining member and the pivot pins of a second wing of the two wings is coupled to the support structure by a slot.

5. The key mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the keycap pins of a first wing of the two wings is coupled to the keycap assembly by a c-clip retaining member and the keycap pins of a second wing of the two wings is coupled to the keycap assembly by an L-shaped retaining member.

6. A key mechanism, comprising:
a keycap assembly;
a support structure;
a half-butterfly hinge comprising two wings adjacent each other such that a cavity is formed between the two wings, each wing comprising:
a keycap coupling member;
a major arm extending from the keycap coupling member to a first pivot pin coupled to the support structure; and
a minor arm extending from the keycap coupling member to a second pivot pin coupled to the support structure, the minor arm having a length shorter than the major arm; and

a coupling mechanism coupling ends of the major arms of the half-butterfly hinge together.

7. The key mechanism as in claim 6 , further comprising a switch secured between the keycap assembly and the support structure, wherein the half-butterfly hinge is adjacent a first side of the switch.

8. The key mechanism as in claim 7 , further comprising:
an additional half-butterfly hinge adjacent a second side of the switch and comprising:
two additional wings positioned adjacent to each other such that an additional cavity is formed between the two additional wings, each additional wing comprising:
an additional major arm; and
an additional minor arm shorter than the additional major arm; and

a coupling mechanism coupling the additional major arms of the additional half-butterfly hinge together.

9. A half-butterfly assembly, comprising:
two separate wings positioned adjacent to each other such that a cavity is formed between the two wings, each wing comprising:
a keycap coupling member;
a major arm extending from the keycap coupling member to a first pivot member and defining a coupling end; and
a minor arm shorter than the major arm extending from the keycap coupling member to a second pivot member; and

a coupling mechanism coupling the coupling ends of the major arms of the half-butterfly assembly to one another.

10. The half-butterfly assembly of claim 9 , further comprising a switch, the switch comprising:
an upper conductive structure attached to a substrate;
a lower conductive structure disposed under the upper conductive structure and attached to the substrate, wherein the switch is closed when the upper conductive structure contacts the lower conductive structure.

11. The half-butterfly assembly of claim 10 , wherein the upper and lower conductive structures each comprise a conductive deformable structure.

12. The half-butterfly assembly of claim 11 , further comprising contact pads disposed between the substrate and the upper and lower conductive deformable structures at locations where the upper and lower conductive deformable structures are attached to the substrate.

13. The half-butterfly assembly of claim 9 , further comprising a keycap assembly, comprising:
a keycap;
a substructure secured to a bottom surface of the keycap and defining an opening therethrough to allow light to pass through; and
pin retaining mechanisms attached to the substructure.

14. A toggle switch, comprising:
first and second wings;
first and second hinges that couple the first and second wings together;
a cavity formed between the first and second wings when the wings are hinged together;
a first switch positioned under the first wing; and
a second switch positioned under the second wing.

15. The toggle switch of claim 14 , further comprising a deformable structure positioned in the cavity.

16. A method for producing a glyph for a top surface of a keycap, the method comprising:
bonding a foil layer to an underlying first layer;
forming an opening in the foil layer; and
after bonding the foil layer to the underlying first layer, filling the opening with material of the underlying first layer to produce the glyph.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the underlying first layer comprises a thermoplastic layer.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein filling the opening with material in the underlying first layer comprises applying heat to the thermoplastic layer such that thermoplastic material flows into the opening.

19. A method for producing a top surface for a keycap, the method comprising:
bonding a top liner layer to a bottom foil layer;
after bonding the top liner layer to the bottom foil layer, forming an opening in the foil layer;
filling the opening with a material to produce the glyph; and
removing the top liner layer.

20. The key mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the coupling mechanism couples the major arms to each other at terminal ends of the major arms.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Niu James J
• Hendren Keith J
• Leong Craig C
• Wilson Jr Thomas W
• Brock John M

Classifications

• G06F3/0202 Primary

  Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device · CPC title

• H01H2227/028

  Key stroke · CPC title

• G06F3/0238

  Programmable keyboards (key guide holders G06F3/0224) · CPC title

• H01H2221/016

  Lever; Rocker · CPC title

• H01H13/705

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