Independent light-emitting keycap module and keyboard device

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of keyboards and discloses an independent light-emitting keycap module and a keyboard device. The keycap module comprises a main body part and a base part, the main body part is a key unit capable of being independently disassembled, is provided with a downwardly-opened groove, a side light-emitting type light-emitting diode is arranged on the side wall of the groove, and an electric connection terminal is located in the center of the groove and is electrically connected with the light-emitting diode through a conductive circuit. At least two opposite acrylic reflective bumps are arranged in the groove to enhance light reflection. The base part is provided with an electric interface matched with the electric connection terminal, mechanical and electric pluggable connection is realized. The keyboard device comprises a plurality of independent light-emitting keycap modules, is installed on a key frame of a keyboard body, and is electrically connected through a printed circuit board. Therefore, each keycap of the application can independently emit light, is of a detachable structure, and is convenient for replacement and maintenance.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of keyboards, in particular to an independent light-emitting keycap module and a keyboard device. BACKGROUND

[0002] As an important input device of computers and various electronic devices, the design of the keys of the keyboard directly affects the operation experience of the user and the market competitiveness of the product. Traditional keyboards mostly use a whole fixed keycap structure, and the keys are combined closely with the keyboard body, so that the user cannot replace the keycap by himself, which limits the personalized customization and functional expansion requirements of the keyboard.

[0003] In recent years, with the rise of e-sports and smart devices, keyboards with light-emitting effects have been increasingly popular, especially various backlit or flashy keyboards, which have improved the visual experience and operation convenience of the user through the change of light color and effect. However, most of the existing light-emitting keycaps of the keyboard adopt a whole light-transmitting design, and the keycap material is mostly light-transmitting resin, which is prone to yellowing after long-term use, thereby reducing the light effect and being easily damaged. In addition, the replaceability of the existing keycaps is poor, which cannot meet the personalized needs of the user for different functions, colors and light effects.

[0004] Although there are related designs of replaceable keycap modules on the market at present, most of the designs still remain at the level of disassembly of the mechanical structure, and lack of systematic solutions for the integration of the light-emitting module, the stability of the electrical connection and the uniformity of the optical effect. At the same time, the connection mode of the keycap and the keyboard body mostly adopts buckle or sleeve fixing, which needs to be disassembled and assembled with special tools, and the combination part is prone to damage or breakage, which affects the reliability and service life of the keyboard.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need for an independent light-emitting keycap module with compact structure, easy replacement and excellent light-emitting effect, and a corresponding keyboard device, to meet the market demand for high-quality, multifunctional and personalized keyboard products. SUMMARY

[0006] The present application aims to provide an independent light-emitting keycap module with compact structure, excellent light-emitting effect and easy replacement, and a keyboard device comprising the module, to solve the problems of the existing technology, such as the difficulty in disassembling the keycap, the uneven light-emitting and the unstable electrical connection.

[0007] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present application adopts the following technical solutions:

[0008] The independent light-emitting keycap module comprises a main body part and a base part, the main body part is a key unit capable of being independently disassembled, and at least comprises a keycap body with a downwardly opened groove, a side light-emitting type light-emitting diode arranged on the side wall of the groove, an electrical connection terminal arranged in the center of the groove and electrically connected with the light-emitting diode through a conductive circuit embedded in the keycap body, and at least two oppositely arranged light-reflecting bumps distributed around the electrical connection terminal in the groove, and the base part has an electrical interface matched with the electrical connection terminal, so as to realize the mechanical and electrical pluggable connection of the main body part and the base part.

[0009] By arranging the light-emitting diode on the side wall of the groove and utilizing the reflection of the light-reflecting bumps, the utilization rate and uniformity of light are effectively improved, and the overall light-emitting effect of the keycap is improved.

[0010] The light-reflecting bumps are made of acrylic material and protrude into the groove, enhancing the reflection effect of light.

[0011] A keyboard device comprises a keyboard body and a plurality of independent light-emitting keycap modules mounted on the keyboard body, the keyboard body comprises a key frame and a printed circuit board, each independent light-emitting keycap module is positioned in the positioning hole of the key frame through the electrical connection terminal, and is electrically connected with the printed circuit board on the keyboard base through the base part. The first magnetic ring is embedded in the key frame, the second magnetic ring is embedded in the keycap body, and the second magnetic ring has a diameter not less than that of the first magnetic ring, so that the independent light-emitting keycap module is stably positioned through the magnetic attraction between the first magnetic ring and the second magnetic ring, improving the accuracy and stability of disassembly.

[0012] In addition, the keycap body is made of light-proof resin material, preventing light transmission to non-light-emitting areas to improve the light-emitting effect; the light guide plate made by the injection molding process is arranged in the groove, which can effectively guide and uniformly distribute the light of the light-emitting diode, realizing the uniformity and aesthetics of the overall light-emitting of the keycap.

[0013] In summary, the independent light-emitting keycap module and the keyboard device provided by the present application have compact structure, uniform light-emitting, easy disassembly and replacement, solve the shortcomings of the prior art, and meet the needs of personalized, functional and stable high-end intelligent keyboard. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0014] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments or prior art description. Obviously, the drawings in the following description only represent some of the embodiments of the present application, and for those skilled in the art, other drawings can also be obtained from these drawings without creative labor.

[0015] Wherein:

[0016] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of the independent light-emitting keycap module provided by the present embodiment;

[0017] Figure 2 is Figure 1 the light-emitting principle diagram of the light-emitting diode and the reflective bump;

[0018] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the keyboard device provided by the present technical solution embodiment;

[0019] Figure 4 is a top view of the first magnetic ring provided by a preferred embodiment;

[0020] Figure 5 is a bottom view of the second magnetic ring provided by a preferred embodiment;

[0021] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of a light guide plate provided in a variant;

[0022] Figure 7 is a three-dimensional schematic view of the keyboard device provided by the present technical solution embodiment.

[0023] Main component symbol explanation

[0024] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor fall within the scope of the present application.

[0026] Please refer to Figure 1 , which provides an independent light-emitting keycap module 100, the independent light-emitting keycap module 100 mainly includes a main body part 110 and a base part 120. The main body part 110 is a key unit that can be independently detached. The structure design makes the main body part 110 temporarily cooperate and install with the base part 120 in a separable and uncombined state.

[0027] The main body 110 comprises a key cap body 111 with a downwardly opened groove 112, at least one side-emitting light emitting diode 113, an electric connection terminal 114 and at least two oppositely arranged light-reflecting bumps 115 are arranged in the groove 112, the electric connection terminal 114 is electrically connected with the light emitting diode 113 via a conductive circuit embedded in the key cap body 111. In the embodiment, the light emitting diode 113 is fixed on the sidewall of the groove 112 by surface mount technology, the electric connection terminal 114 is arranged in the center of the groove 112, and the light-reflecting bumps 115 are distributed around the electric connection terminal 114 in the groove 112. Since the light emitting diode 113 is designed as a side-emitting type, the light emitted by the light emitting diode 113 can be uniformly emitted towards the other sidewalls in the groove 112, avoiding the problem of excessive light spot and insufficient peripheral light caused by direct light to the bottom surface of the groove 112. The light-reflecting bumps 115 are arranged in the groove 112, specifically in the form of semicircular protrusions, and are made of high-transmittance acrylic material. The semicircular protrusions can convert horizontal light into downward light by total reflection and refraction. Preferably, the light-reflecting bumps 115 can be made of acrylic material with a transmittance of more than 90%, and are formed on the bottom surface of the groove 112 by screen printing. That is, the light-reflecting bumps 115 can be formed by screen printing or by injection molding using a pre-set mold.

[0028] Further, as shown in Figure 2 When the light emitted by the light emitting diode 113 is emitted towards the electric connection terminal 114, the light will be emitted downward after hitting the light-reflecting bumps 115. In detail, the shape and refractive index of the light-reflecting bumps 115 are optimized, so that the horizontal light emitted by the light emitting diode 113 enters the light-reflecting bumps 115, and changes the direction of the light by multiple refraction and reflection inside the light-reflecting bumps 115, and is uniformly emitted downward. Since the light can be effectively converted into a surface light source, avoiding the problem of excessive light spot and insufficient peripheral light, the backlight uniformity and visual comfort of the overall key cap can be significantly improved.

[0029] Again as shown in Figure 1As shown, the base portion 120 has an electrical interface 121 matching the electrical connection terminal 114 to achieve the installation of the main body portion 110 to the corresponding base portion 120 and complete the electrical connection, that is, the base portion 120 is used to complete the mechanical positioning and electrical connection when the main body portion 110 is installed to the corresponding base portion 120. In other words, when the electrical connection terminal 114 of the main body portion 110 is not in contact with the corresponding electrical interface 121, the main body portion 110 circuit is in an open circuit state, thereby ensuring that the light-emitting diode 113 is not powered on and does not act (that is, will not act), effectively reducing the energy loss caused by replacing the keycap during the use of the keyboard by the user. In the embodiment, the electrical connection terminal 114 and the electrical interface 121 can adopt a magnetic spring connector, the electrical connection terminal 114 can be provided as a male terminal, and the spring needle thereof is ensured to have a stroke and a rebound force in the longitudinal direction through precision machining; the electrical interface 121 can be provided as a female terminal, and corresponding conductive sleeves and magnetic elements are built-in, the magnetic attraction force can not only provide an automatic positioning function between the main body portion 110 and the base portion 120, but also can maintain a stable connection state without external force, thereby avoiding poor contact caused by vibration or slight displacement. In addition, the main body portion 110 and the base portion 120 can be quickly separated without additional tools during disassembly, which not only improves the efficiency of replacing or maintaining the independent light-emitting keycap module 100, but also avoids the defects of easy wear and easy breakage of the traditional welding type or mechanical type connection, thereby significantly prolonging the service life and reducing the maintenance cost.

[0030] Please refer to Figure 3 which is a keyboard device 20 provided by the technical solution embodiment, mainly comprising a keyboard body 200 and a plurality of independent light-emitting keycap modules 100 installed on the keyboard body 200. In detail, the keyboard body 200 comprises a key frame 210 and a keyboard base 220 with a printed circuit board 230, wherein the printed circuit board 230 is located between the key frame 210 and the keyboard base 220, and the key frame 210 is formed with a plurality of positioning holes 211 for installing the independent light-emitting keycap module 100.

[0031] In a preferred embodiment, as Figure 4 shown, a first magnetic ring 212 can be embedded at the edge of each positioning hole 211 of the key frame 210, and each first magnetic ring 212 is arranged in a surrounding manner at the periphery of the corresponding positioning hole 211, used for mutual attraction and positioning with the second magnetic ring 116 on the main body portion 110 of the independent light-emitting keycap module 100. Preferably, the first magnetic ring 212 can be made of neodymium iron boron permanent magnet material to ensure strong adsorption force and stability, that is, the positioning accuracy of the independent light-emitting keycap module 100 can be maintained even under frequent operation or external impact.

[0032] For example Figure 3 As shown, the independent backlit keycap module 100 includes a keycap body 111 and a base portion 120. A downwardly opening groove 112 is formed on the lower part of the keycap body 111. A side-emitting light-emitting diode 113, an electrical connection terminal 114, and at least two opposing reflective bumps 115 are disposed within the groove 112. Figure 5 As shown, the second magnetic ring 116 is embedded in the keycap body 111, and the diameter of the second magnetic ring 116 is not less than the diameter of the corresponding first magnetic ring 212. Each second magnetic ring 116 and the corresponding first magnetic ring 212 are arranged opposite to each other along the axis. Since the diameter of the second magnetic ring 116 is larger, it can cover the first magnetic ring 212, ensuring automatic alignment during adsorption, thereby improving the adsorption area and alignment accuracy of magnetic coupling.

[0033] The base portion 120 has an electrical interface 121 that matches the electrical connection terminal 114 and is electrically connected to the printed circuit board 230, thereby achieving mechanical positioning and electrical connection when the keycap body 111 is assembled to the corresponding base portion 120. When the electrical connection terminal 114 is not in contact with the electrical interface 121, the independent illuminated keycap module 100 is in an open circuit state, and the light-emitting diode 113 does not operate, effectively preventing energy waste and false triggering caused by replacing or removing keycaps. In this embodiment, the base portion 120 can be combined with the key switch of the keyboard body 200. When the user presses the keycap body 111 of the body portion, the entire independent illuminated keycap module 100 will move vertically downward to trigger the key switch, and the key switch will form a circuit with the printed circuit board 230 to transmit the user's input information to external devices. The push-button switch can be a mechanical switch, such as a scissor-type switch with a rubber dome or metal spring, which deforms or closes its contacts when subjected to force. Alternatively, the push-button switch can be a membrane or capacitive switch, triggering a signal through conductive layer contact or capacitance change when pressed. Furthermore, the electrical interface 121 is recessed, which, combined with the protrusion of the electrical connection terminal 114, further increases the stability of the mechanical connection between the base portion 120 and the main body portion 110 when the protrusion at the top of the electrical connection terminal 114 is inserted into the electrical interface 121.

[0034] Preferably, the electric connection terminal 114 and the electric interface 121 adopt a magnetic suction type spring connector, wherein the electric connection terminal 114 is arranged as a male terminal and the electric interface 121 is arranged as a female terminal. The magnetic suction force can not only realize automatic alignment between the main body part 110 and the base part 120, but also maintain stable connection without external force. Furthermore, by arranging the first magnetic ring 212 and the second magnetic ring 116 that can match each other, the phenomenon of poor contact caused by vibration or slight displacement is further prevented. Through the above structure, the keycap modular maintenance can be more rapid, and the installation or replacement can be completed without tools, thereby significantly improving the use convenience and durability of the keyboard device 20. In the embodiment, the keyboard device 20 not only has the ability to quickly replace the independent light-emitting keycap module 100, but also can replace the keycap unit with different appearances, light effects or functions according to user needs, thereby improving the overall visual effect and personalized experience.

[0035] In the embodiment, the keycap body 111 is preferably integrally formed by using an opaque resin material, for example, ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymer), PBT (polybutylene terephthalate) or PC-ABS alloy resin, etc. The opaque resin has good mechanical strength and impact resistance, and can keep low deformation and good surface stability under long-term high-frequency pressing use conditions. In addition, since the keycap body 111 is made of opaque resin material, it can effectively block the light from the light-emitting diode 113 from transmitting through the side wall or top surface of the keycap, thereby avoiding visual interference caused by light leakage. In this way, the light-emitting effect can be concentrated in the orthographic projection area below the keycap body 111, thereby significantly improving the contrast and clarity of backlight display. Further, the color of the opaque resin material can be selected as pure black, dark gray or other dark colors to enhance the shielding effect of internal light and reduce the halo effect. In order to improve the surface touch and wear resistance of the keycap body 111, the outer surface of the keycap body 111 can also be subjected to spraying, UV (ultraviolet) light curing coating or surface etching treatment to prevent character or coating wear caused by long-term use and maintain the consistency of keycap appearance and function. In addition, the use of opaque resin can effectively prevent the yellowing phenomenon of the previous transparent keycap, and the opaque keycap body 111 can guide the light more accurately to the position directly below each key in combination with the design of the reflective bump 115 of the present technical solution, thereby realizing more uniform and visually striking backlight effect.

[0036] Please refer to Figure 6In the groove 112 of the keycap body 111, a light guide plate 240 can be provided, which is made by injection molding process with the light-reflecting bump 115. That is, the light guide plate 240 can be attached to the bottom surface of the groove 112. In detail, the light guide plate 240 is preferably made of optical-grade acrylic material with high light transmittance to ensure efficient transmission and uniform distribution of light in the light guide plate 240. That is, since the light guide plate 240 and the light-reflecting bump 115 can be made of the same material, the light guide plate 240 and the light-reflecting bump 115 can be made by integrated injection molding process, in which the light guide plate 240 and the light-reflecting bump 115 are physically combined stably by precise mold structure design to avoid loosening or falling off after long-term use. That is, if the light-reflecting bump 115 is made by injection molding, it can be molded together with the light guide plate 240.

[0037] Further, the light-in surface of the light guide plate 240 can be arc-shaped, beveled or have a micro-prism structure according to the light type characteristics of the light-emitting diode 113 to guide the light into the interior of the light guide plate 240 and transmit along a predetermined path; while the light-out surface of the light guide plate 240 can form a microlens array, a fogging texture or a diffusion film layer to improve the scattering effect of light, so that the light processed by the light guide plate 240 presents a uniform and soft light-emitting state, which can eliminate local bright spots and dark areas and uniformly distribute light to the area below the key. In addition, since the light guide plate 240 and the light-reflecting bump 115 are integrally formed, there is no optical gap between them, the light loss is reduced, and therefore the light-emitting efficiency and uniformity are improved. In particular, the light guide plate 240 and the light-reflecting bump 115 avoid the interface loss caused by multi-piece fitting in structure, in which the light-reflecting bump 115 is a geometric structure with high reflectivity for secondary reflection or refraction control of the light propagating in the light guide plate 240. By such an integrally formed structure design, the light entering the light guide plate 240 can be effectively emitted downward by the light-reflecting bump 115 during propagation, thereby improving the light-emitting uniformity and utilization.

[0038] Referring to Figure 7 The keyboard device 20 can selectively configure the independent light-emitting keycap module of the present application and can be customized according to the actual needs of the user to reform the target key position on the keyboard. For example, for frequently used function keys such as the enter key, space bar, etc., the circuit layout of the printed circuit board 230 can be adjusted to accurately match the electrical interface 121 on the corresponding position of the printed circuit board 230 with the electrical connection terminal in the keycap body 111, so as to install the independent light-emitting keycap module of the present application at the target key position.

[0039] After the modification, the target key will have the characteristics of being detachable, replaceable and independently lighted. Even if the target key has differences in structure and light source driving from other key units, it will not cause interference to the electrical function and light effect of adjacent or other keys. Further, through the customization modification in the above manner, the user can not only freely replace the light-emitting keycap with different colors, brightness or light effect modes according to personal preferences or specific use scenarios, but also flexibly realize personalized appearance and function configuration without affecting the overall keyboard performance and stability. In addition, the modification method in the embodiment does not need to make substantial changes to the overall structure of the keyboard. Only by adding an electrical interface and a mechanical mounting structure suitable for the independently lighted keycap module in the printed circuit board design stage or the later production process, the personalized upgrade can be completed. This not only greatly reduces the modification cost, but also enables keyboard manufacturers to derive multiple product models with different configurations and appearance styles on the same product platform to meet the needs of different markets and user groups.

[0040] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than limit them; although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can modify the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for part of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and should be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. An independent light-emitting keycap module, comprising a main body part and a base part, characterized in that: the main body part is a key unit capable of being independently disassembled, and at least comprises: a keycap body with a downwardly opened groove; at least one side-emitting light-emitting diode arranged on the side wall of the groove; an electrical connection terminal arranged in the center of the groove and electrically connected to the light-emitting diode via a conductive circuit embedded in the keycap body; at least two oppositely arranged light-reflecting bumps located in the groove and distributed around the electrical connection terminal, wherein the light emitted by the light-emitting diode is emitted towards the electrical connection terminal, and the light is emitted downward after hitting the light-reflecting bumps; and the base part has an electrical interface matching the electrical connection terminal to realize the installation of the main body part on the corresponding base part and complete the electrical connection, wherein the base part is used to complete the mechanical positioning and electrical connection when the main body part is installed on the corresponding base part, and the main body part circuit is in an open circuit state when the electrical connection terminal of the main body part is not in contact with the corresponding electrical interface.

2. The independent light-emitting keycap module according to claim 1, wherein: The light-reflecting bumps are made of acrylic material and are protrudingly arranged in the groove.

3. The independent lighted keycap module of claim 1, wherein: The electrical connection terminal and the electrical interface adopt a magnetic spring connector, the electrical connection terminal is a male terminal, and the electrical interface is a female terminal.

4. A keyboard device, characterized by: The keyboard device comprises a keyboard body and a plurality of independent light-emitting keycap modules installed on the keyboard body; each independent light-emitting keycap module comprises a main body part and a base part, the main body part is a key unit capable of being independently disassembled, and at least comprises: a keycap body with a downwardly opened groove; at least one side-emitting light-emitting diode arranged on the side wall of the groove; an electrical connection terminal arranged in the center of the groove and electrically connected to the light-emitting diode via a conductive circuit embedded in the keycap body; at least two oppositely arranged light-reflecting bumps located in the groove and distributed around the electrical connection terminal, wherein the light emitted by the light-emitting diode is emitted towards the electrical connection terminal, and the light is emitted downward after hitting the light-reflecting bumps; and the base part has an electrical interface matching the electrical connection terminal and is fixed on the keyboard body to realize the pluggable mechanical and electrical connection of the main body part and the base part, wherein the base part is used to complete the mechanical positioning and electrical connection when the main body part is installed on the corresponding base part, and the main body part circuit is in an open circuit state when the electrical connection terminal of the main body part is not in contact with the corresponding electrical interface.

5. The keyboard device of claim 4, wherein: The keyboard body comprises a key frame and a keyboard base with a printed circuit board, each independent light-emitting keycap module is arranged in a positioning hole of the key frame via the electrical connection terminal, and is combined with the keyboard base through the base part, wherein the base part is electrically connected to the printed circuit board.

6. The keyboard device of claim 5, wherein: A plurality of first magnetic rings are embedded in the key frame, and each first magnetic ring is arranged around the periphery of the positioning hole.

7. The keyboard device of claim 6, wherein: The key cap body is embedded with a plurality of second magnetic rings, each of which is arranged opposite to the first magnetic ring along an axis, and the diameter of the second magnetic ring is not less than that of the first magnetic ring.

8. The keyboard device of claim 7, wherein: The key cap body is made of non-transparent resin material.

9. The keyboard device of claim 7, wherein: A light guide plate is arranged in the groove of the key cap body, and the light guide plate and the light-reflecting bump are made by injection molding. The light guide plate and the light-reflecting bump jointly act to make the light evenly shoot downward.

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