Keyswitch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9959991-B2
Application number	US-201715642350-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2017
Priority date	Jul 14, 2016
Publication date	May 1, 2018
Grant date	May 1, 2018

Abstract

A keyswitch uses a magnetic attraction force produced between and by a fixed part, fixedly disposed relative to a base, and a movable part, movably disposed relative to the base, as a driving force for returning a keycap to its original position. The movable part is between the fixed part and the base. The keyswitch also uses a force transmission part disposed between the keycap and the movable part as an intermediate for transferring force from the keycap to the movable part. When a force for pressing the keycap downward overcomes the magnetic attraction force, the movable part moves toward the base and then triggers a switch.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A keyswitch, comprising:
a base, comprising a switch and a connection structure;
a keycap;
a lift mechanism, connected to and between the connection structure and the keycap, the keycap is movable parallel to a movement direction relative to the base through the lift mechanism between an un-pressed position and a pressed position;
a fixed part, disposed fixedly relative to the base between the base and the keycap, the fixed part having a first magnetic portion;
a movable part, disposed movably relative to the base between the base and the fixed part, the movable part having a second magnetic portion and a trigger portion, a magnetic attraction force due to a magnetic attraction effect between the first magnetic portion and the second magnetic portion being exerted on the movable part, a direction of the magnetic attraction force pointing toward the first magnetic portion, the trigger portion and the switch being disposed oppositely, the trigger portion triggering the switch when the keycap is located at the pressed position; and
a force transmission part, connected to and between the keycap and the movable part, when the keycap moves from the un-pressed position toward the pressed position, the keycap moving the movable part downward through the force transmission part to make the trigger portion triggers the switch.

2. The keyswitch of claim 1 , wherein the force transmission part is a protrusive post extending from the keycap toward the movable part.

3. The keyswitch of claim 1 , wherein the force transmission part comprises a spring, an upper end of the spring abuts against the keycap, an lower end of the spring abuts against the movable part, when the keycap moves from the un-pressed position toward the base, the spring is elastically compressed by the keycap and the movable part to exert a restoring force on the movable part, and a direction of the restoring force points toward the base.

4. The keyswitch of claim 3 , wherein the force transmission part further comprises a guiding post, and the spring is around the guiding post.

5. The keyswitch of claim 1 , wherein the fixed part comprises a casing, the casing is fixed on the base and has an accommodating space and a first opening, the first opening is connected with the accommodating space, the first magnetic portion is fixed on the casing, the movable part is movably in the accommodating space, and the force transmission part extends into the accommodating space through the first opening.

6. The keyswitch of claim 5 , wherein the first magnetic portion is at the first opening and has a second through hole, and the force transmission part extends into the accommodating space through the second through hole and the first opening.

7. The keyswitch of claim 5 , wherein the base comprises a base plate and a circuit board, the base plate is disposed between the circuit board and the lift mechanism, the base plate has a first through hole, the connection structure is disposed on the base plate, the switch is disposed on the circuit board, the casing has a second opening, the second opening is connected with the accommodating space and is disposed opposite to the first through hole, and the switch is exposed to the accommodating space through the first through hole and the second opening.

8. The keyswitch of claim 5 , wherein the movable part comprises a magnet and a paramagnetic plate, the paramagnetic plate is magnetically attached to the magnet and is located between the magnet and the base, the second magnetic portion is formed by the magnet and the paramagnetic plate, and the trigger portion is disposed on the paramagnetic plate and protrudes toward the base.

9. The keyswitch of claim 5 , wherein the movable part comprises a magnet and a soft pad, the soft pad is connected to a side edge of the magnet, the magnet is taken as the second magnetic portion, and the trigger portion is disposed on a bottom of the soft pad and protrudes toward the base.

10. The keyswitch of claim 9 , wherein when the movable part moves the base, the magnet rotates toward the base.

11. The keyswitch of claim 10 , further comprising a conductive sheet disposed between the switch and the movable part, wherein when the keycap is located at the pressed position, the trigger portion triggers the switch through the conductive sheet.

12. The keyswitch of claim 1 , an intermediate position between the un-pressed position and the pressed position being defined, wherein the force transmission part comprises a spring connected to and between the keycap and the movable part, and when the keycap is located at the intermediate position, the spring is compressed to be solid.

13. The keyswitch of claim 1 , wherein the force transmission part comprises a spring connected to and between the keycap and the movable part, when the keycap moves from the un-pressed position toward the base, the spring is elastically compressed by the keycap and the movable part to exert a restoring force on the movable part, a direction of the restoring force points toward the base, and the magnetic attraction force and the restoring force are parallel to the movement direction.

14. The keyswitch of claim 1 , wherein the base comprises a base plate and a circuit board, the base plate is disposed between the circuit board and the lift mechanism, the base plate has a first through hole, the connection structure is disposed on the base plate, and the switch is disposed on the circuit board and is exposed out through the first through hole.

15. The keyswitch of claim 14 , wherein the circuit board is a membrane circuit board.

16. The keyswitch of claim 14 , wherein the base comprises a lighting part, the lighting part is disposed on the circuit board, the base plate has a window, the lighting part is exposed out through the window, and the lighting part emits light toward the keycap.

17. The keyswitch of claim 1 , wherein the first magnetic portion is a paramagnetic part or a magnet, and the second magnetic portion is a magnet or a paramagnetic part correspondingly.

Assignees

• Darfon Electronics Corp

Inventors

• Chen Chi-Hwan

Classifications

• H01H3/125 Primary

  using a scissor mechanism as stabiliser · CPC title

• H01H2221/04

  magnetic · CPC title

• H01H2219/036

  Light emitting elements · CPC title

• H01H2215/042

  Permanent magnets · CPC title

• H01H5/08

  one end of spring transmitting movement to the contact member when the other end is moved by the operating part · CPC title