Viscoelastic keyboard key design

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9720516-B2
Application number	US-201414286366-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2014
Priority date	May 23, 2014
Publication date	Aug 1, 2017
Grant date	Aug 1, 2017

Abstract

A system and method which provide a keyboard with keys which are configured using a viscoelasticity model. More specifically, with the viscoelasticity model at least certain keys within the keyboard include an elastic component and a viscous component. The elastic component provides a component force which occurs substantially immediately upon application of a stress to the key and relaxes substantially immediately upon release of the stress from the key. In this way the elastic component functions similarly to a spring in a mechanical dashpot model key. The viscous component provides a component force which grows with time as long as a stress is applied to the key. In this way, the viscous component functions similarly to a dash in a mechanical dashpot model key.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for improving key response comprising:
providing a keyboard with a plurality of individually actuatable keys;
configuring at least some of the individually actuatable keys using a viscoelasticity model; and
providing the at least some of the individually actuatable keys with an elastic component and a viscous component, the elastic component providing an elastic component force, the elastic component force occurring substantially immediately upon application of a stress load to a respective key and relaxing substantially immediately upon release of the stress load from the respective key, the stress load being applied by a pressing force from a user actuating the respective key, the viscous component providing a viscous component force, the viscous component force growing with time to a maximum viscous component force, the viscous component force being applied as long as a stress is applied to the respective key; and wherein,
the stress load necessary to displace the viscous component decays exponentially with time as the elastic component is displaced at a rate dependent of an applied stress strain relationship.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the elastic component comprises a top rigid layer;
the viscous component is not compressible; and,
stress applied upon the top rigid layer is transferred onto the viscous component as an induced strain.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein:
the top rigid layer comprises a rigid material; and,
the time and rate of deformation of the rigid material is tuned such that the top rigid layer buckles at a pre-defined stress level to indicate an end of stress applied cycle.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the viscous component comprises at least one of a silicone gel material, a high-damping urethane, or natural rubber.

5. An information handling system comprising:
a processor;
a data bus coupled to the processor; and
a keyboard, the keyboard comprising a plurality of individually actuatable keys, at least some of the individually actuatable keys being configured using a viscoelasticity model; and wherein
the at least some of the individually actuatable keys comprise an elastic component and a viscous component, the elastic component providing an elastic component force, the elastic component force occurring substantially immediately upon application of a stress load to a respective key and relaxing substantially immediately upon release of the stress load from the respective key, the stress load being applied by a pressing force from a user actuating the respective key, the viscous component providing a viscous component force, the viscous component force growing with time to a maximum viscous component force, the viscous component force being applied as long as a stress is applied to the respective key; and,
the stress load necessary to displace the viscous component decays exponentially with time as the elastic component is displaced at a rate dependent of an applied stress strain relationship.

6. The information handling system of claim 5 , wherein:
the elastic component comprises a top rigid layer;
the viscous component is not compressible; and,
stress applied upon the top rigid layer is transferred onto the viscous component as an induced strain.

7. The information handling system of claim 6 , wherein:
the top rigid layer comprises a rigid material; and,
the time and rate of deformation of the rigid material is tuned such that the top rigid layer buckles at a pre-defined stress level to indicate an end of stress applied cycle.

8. The information handling system of claim 5 , wherein
the viscous component comprises at least one of a silicone gel material, a high-damping urethane, or natural rubber.

9. A keyboard system comprising:
a force sensing portion;
a plurality of individually actuatable keys, at least some of the individually actuatable keys being configured using a viscoelasticity model, each of the plurality of individually actuatable keys providing a respective force to the force sensing portion; and wherein
the at least some of the individually actuatable keys comprise an elastic component and a viscous component, the elastic component providing an elastic component force, the elastic component force occurring substantially immediately upon application of a stress load to a respective key and relaxing substantially immediately upon release of the stress load from the respective key, the stress load being applied by a pressing force from a user actuating the respective key, the viscous component providing a viscous component force, the viscous component force growing with time to a maximum viscous component force, the viscous component force being applied as long as a stress is applied to the respective key; and,
the stress load necessary to displace the viscous component decays exponentially with time as the elastic component is displaced at a rate dependent of an applied stress strain relationship.

10. The keyboard system of claim 9 , wherein:
the elastic component comprises a top rigid layer;
the viscous component is not compressible; and,
stress applied upon the top rigid layer is transferred onto the viscous component as an induced strain.

11. The keyboard system of claim 10 , wherein:
the top rigid layer comprises a rigid material; and,
the time and rate of deformation of the rigid material is tuned such that the top rigid layer buckles at a pre-defined stress level to indicate an end of stress applied cycle.

12. The keyboard system of claim 9 , wherein
the viscous component comprises at least one of a silicone gel material, a high-damping urethane, or natural rubber.

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Peana Stefan
• Markow Mitchell A
• Langevin Warren

Classifications

• H01H2221/062

  Damping vibrations · CPC title

• H01H2221/084

  made at least partly of elastic foam · CPC title

• H01H13/85

  characterised by tactile feedback features · CPC title

• H01H13/82

  characterised by contact space venting means · CPC title

• Y10T29/49107

  Fuse making · CPC title