Key assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9799464-B2
Application number	US-201514931816-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 3, 2015
Priority date	Sep 15, 2015
Publication date	Oct 24, 2017
Grant date	Oct 24, 2017

Abstract

A key assembly configured to an electronic device is provided. The key assembly includes a switch component and a flexible button. The switch component is disposed in a case of the electronic device. The flexible button has a pressing portion, a shaft portion, at least one water-resistant portion and an actuating portion. The pressing portion is exposed from the case. The shaft portion connects the pressing portion and the actuating portion, and passes through a through hole of the case. The water-resistant portion is connected to the shaft portion and covers the through hole. The actuating portion is located in the case and aligned to the switch component. When a force is applied to the pressing portion, the pressing portion produces compressive deformation and makes the actuating portion produce expensive deformation to actuate the switch component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A key assembly configured for being disposed in an electronic device, comprising:
a switch component, disposed in a case of the electronic device; and
a flexible button, having a pressing portion, a shaft portion, at least a water-resistant portion and an actuating portion, wherein the flexible button is made of rubber, the pressing portion, the shaft portion, and the actuating portion are an integrally formed structure, the pressing portion is exposed from the case, the shaft portion connects the pressing portion and the actuating portion and passes through a through hole of the case, the water-resistant portion is connected to the shaft portion and covers the through hole, the actuating portion is disposed in the case and aligned to the switch component, and the flexible button further comprises a first cavity located in the pressing portion, a first communicating channel located in the shaft portion, and a second cavity located in the actuating portion, the communicating channel communicates the first cavity with the second cavity, and wherein when a force is applied to the pressing portion, the pressing portion is compressively deformed and a size of the first cavity is reduced,
after air in the first cavity is squeezed, the air flows into the second cavity via the communicating channel so that the actuating portion is expansively deformed and the second cavity is expanded from a first volume to a second volume larger than the first volume so as to actuate the switch component.

2. The key assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a wall thickness of the actuating portion is less than a wall thickness of the pressing portion.

3. The key assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the pressing portion and the water-resistant portion are disposed in an opening of the case, the opening and the through hole communicate with each other.

4. The key assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the water-resistant portion and the pressing portion are adjacent to each other, and the water-resistant portion is disposed between the pressing portion and the through hole.

5. The key assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein there are two water-resistant portions respectively disposed at two opposite sides of the through hole.

6. The key assembly as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the water-resistant portion is disposed between the pressing portion and the through hole, the other one of the water-resistant portion is disposed between the actuating portion and the through hole, and the two water-resistant portions are respectively abutted against the case.

7. The key assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the actuating portion is disposed between the pressing portion and the switch component.

8. The key assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the actuating portion is abutted against the switch component.

9. The key assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the actuating portion is kept in a distance from the switch component.

Assignees

• Acer Inc

Inventors

• Wang Chih-Kai
• Lee Wen-Shu

Classifications

• H01H35/34

  actuated by diaphragm · CPC title

• H01H35/245

  actuated by the deformation of a body of elastic material · CPC title

• H01H13/06 Primary

  Dustproof, splashproof, drip-proof, waterproof or flameproof casings · CPC title

• H01H35/30

  Means for transmitting pressure to pressure-responsive operating part, e.g. by capsule and capillary tube · CPC title

• H01H13/14

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