Keyboard

Abstract

A keyboard includes a base plate, plural keycaps, plural scissors-type connecting elements and a sliding plate. Each scissors-type connecting element has a bulge. The gliding plate has plural position-limiting structures. The keyboard is installed on a notebook computer and connected with a top cover of the notebook computer. For operating the keyboard, the bulge is received in a first step part of the position-limiting structure. Consequently, the keycap is at a higher height. Since the keycap is at a higher height, the movable distance of the keycap is large enough to provide better tactile feel. For storing the keyboard, the bulge of the scissors-type connecting element is moved to the second step part of the position-limiting structure. Consequently, the height of the keycap is reduced, and the keyboard has a slim appearance.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to a keyboard, and more particularly to a slim-type keyboard.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Generally, the widely-used peripheral input device of a computer system includes for example a mouse, a keyboard, a trackball, or the like. Via the keyboard, characters or symbols can be directly inputted into the computer system. As a consequence, most users and most manufacturers of input devices pay much attention to the development of keyboards. As known, a keyboard with scissors-type connecting elements is one of the widely-used keyboards.[0003]The structure of a keyboard with scissors-type connecting elements will be illustrated as follows. For succinctness, only one key structure of the keyboard is shown. FIG. 1 is a schematic side cross-sectional view illustrating a key structure of a conventional keyboard. As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional key structure 1 comprises a keycap 11, a scissors-type connecting element 12, a rub...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009]The present invention provides a keyboard with reduced thickness and enhanced tactile feel.

[0012]From the above descriptions, the keyboard of the present invention has the function of changing the heights of the keys. For operating the keyboard, the bulge of the scissors-type connecting element is controlled to be received in the first step part of the position-limiting structure. Consequently, the keycap is at a higher height. Since the height of the keycap is not limited during the normal operation of the keyboard, the movable distance of the keycap is still large enough to provide better tactile feel. For storing the keyboard, the bulge of the scissors-type connecting element is controlled to be received in the second step part of the position-limiting structure. Consequently, the height of the keycap is reduced, and the keyboard has a slim appearance. In other words, the keyboard of the present invention is capable of effectively solving the drawbacks of the conventional technologies.

Problems solved by technology

However, these approaches still have some drawbacks.

In case that the first approach is adopted, the structural strength of the key structure is impaired, and thus the key structure is easily damaged.

In case that the second approach is adopted, the tactile feel of depressing the key structure is deteriorated.

In other words, it is difficult to reduce the thickness of the keyboard while obtaining the desired tactile feel.

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