Keyboards with planar translation mechanism formed from laminated substrates

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9543090-B2
Application number	US-201414171106-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2014
Priority date	Apr 19, 2013
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

Keyboards with planar translation effecting mechanisms formed by laminated key guides are disclosed. A key assembly for a keyboard includes a keycap having a touch surface for receiving a press force that moves the keycap from an unpressed position toward a pressed position, the unpressed position and pressed position separated in a press direction and a second direction orthogonal to the press direction. A base is included having a laminated key guide contacting a portion of the keycap to provide a planar translation effecting mechanism to guide the keycap in the press direction and the second direction as the keycap moves from the unpressed position toward the pressed position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A key assembly, comprising:
a keycap having a touch surface for receiving a press force that moves the keycap from an unpressed position toward a pressed position, the unpressed position and pressed position separated in a press direction and a second direction orthogonal to the press direction; and
a base having a laminated key guide contacting a portion of the keycap to provide a planar translation effecting mechanism to guide the keycap in the press direction and the second direction as the keycap moves from the unpressed position toward the pressed position, the laminated key guide comprising a flexible portion, the flexible portion engaging an interior surface of the keycap.

2. The key assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the keycap includes a first magnetic component;
the base includes a second magnetic component;
the first and second magnetic components form a ready-return mechanism that biases the keycap toward the unpressed position.

3. The key assembly of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first and second magnetic components comprises a non-magnetized ferrous material.

4. The key assembly of claim 1 , wherein the laminated key guide comprises laminated substrates from the group of substrates; spacer layers; sensor layers, backlight layer and key guide layer.

5. The key assembly of claim 4 , wherein at least some of the substrates are rigid.

6. The key assembly of claim 5 , wherein at least a portion of the key guide layer is the flexible portion.

7. The key assembly of claim 5 , wherein one or more of the substrates contact the key guide layer to support the key guide layer.

8. The key assembly of claim 4 , wherein the flexible portion is configured to provide an up-stop feature to dampen the keycap when returning to the unpressed position.

9. The key assembly of claim 1 , wherein the base includes a protrusion to provide an end-stop feature to dampen the keycap when reaching the pressed position.

10. The key assembly of claim 1 , wherein the keycap includes a protrusion to provide an end-stop feature to dampen the keycap when reaching the pressed position.

11. The key assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a capacitive sensor for sensing when the keycap is in the pressed position.

12. The key assembly of claim 11 , wherein the keycap includes a conductive protrusion to provide a change in capacitance detectable by the capacitive sensor.

13. The key assembly of claim 11 , wherein the keycap includes a protrusion having a conductive coating to provide a change in capacitance detectable by the capacitive sensor.

14. A keyboard comprising:
a plurality of keycaps, each keycap of the plurality of keycaps having a touch surface for receiving a press force that moves the keycap from an unpressed position toward a pressed position, the unpressed position and pressed position separated in a press direction and a second direction orthogonal to the press direction; and
a base having a laminated key guide contacting a portion of the plurality of keycaps to provide a planar translation effecting mechanism for the keycaps, wherein when the press force being applied to a respective keycap of the plurality of keycaps the laminated key guide guides the respective keycap in the press direction and the second direction as the respective keycap moves toward the pressed position, the laminated key guide comprising a flexible portion, the flexible portion engaging an interior surface of the keycap.

15. The keyboard of claim 14 , wherein, for each keycap of the plurality of the keycaps:
the keycap includes a first magnetic component;
the base includes a second magnetic component; and
the first and second magnetic components form a ready-return mechanism that biases the keycap towards the unpressed position.

16. The keyboard of claim 14 , wherein the laminated key guide comprises laminated substrates from the group of substrates; spacer layers; sensor layer, backlight layer and key guide layer.

17. The keyboard of claim 14 , wherein a portion of the laminated key guide is configured to provide an up-stop feature to dampen the respective keycap when returning to the unpressed position.

18. The keyboard of claim 14 , further comprising capacitive sensor electrodes for sensing when the respective keycap of the plurality of keycaps is in the pressed position.

19. The keyboard of claim 18 , wherein each keycap of the plurality of keycaps includes a conductive protrusion to provide a change in capacitance detectable by the capacitive sensor electrodes.

20. A method of effecting motion of a keycap of a key assembly, wherein the keycap is supported in an unpressed position by a laminated key guide of a base of the key assembly, the keycap configured to move between the unpressed position and a pressed position relative to a base, the laminated key guide comprising a flexible portion, the flexible portion engaging an interior surface of the keycap, wherein the unpressed and pressed positions are separated in a press direction and in a second direction orthogonal to the press direction, the method comprising:
in response to a press input to the keycap, guiding the keycap in the press direction and the second direction as the keycap moves toward the pressed position.

21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising:
in response to a release of the press input, guiding the keycap toward the unpressed position via magnetic forces of a ready-return mechanism.

Assignees

• Synaptics Inc

Inventors

• Krumpelman Doug

Classifications

• H01H13/14 Primary

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

• H01H2215/042

  Permanent magnets · CPC title

• H01H2221/04

  magnetic · CPC title