Key and keyboard with X structure

Abstract

The application discloses a key with X structure and a keyboard, which comprises a key cap, an X structure support, an elastic body, a support plate and a circuit board; the elastic body is connected to the circuit board; the X structure support is connected to the support plate, and the key cap is connected to the X structure support and located above the elastic body; the X structure support comprises a first support and a second support, one end of the first support is hingedly connected to one end of the second support, one end of the first support is provided with a sliding fulcrum, one end of the second support is provided with a fixed fulcrum, and the support plate is provided with a first supporting part and a second supporting part; the sliding fulcrum is rotatably connected to the first supporting part and can slide relative to the first supporting part; and the fixed fulcrum is only rotatably connected to the second supporting part; thereby, the X structure is relatively and unilaterally arranged in a sliding mode, the X structure support is realized, the size of the key cap is reduced, and the two supports do not need to slide simultaneously, so that the structure is more stable.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of key technology, and in particular to an X-structure key and keyboard. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, many products and devices use buttons as components, such as keyboards. Keyboard buttons are the core components of a keyboard, and a high-quality keyboard cannot exist without high-quality buttons. The keyboard market currently offers a wide variety of products, and the technology is becoming increasingly complex, especially the button technology, which is constantly improving. Existing key technology typically employs a scissor-switch mechanism, which effectively shortens key travel, reduces user fatigue, and offers better durability than the scissor-switch mechanism, reducing key jamming. However, existing scissor-switch keys usually involve rotating the fulcrum of two supports. A clearance distance between the supports and the keycap allows the supports to extend within this clearance distance during rotation, enabling movement relative to the keycap. This structure requires a larger keycap to accommodate this clearance distance. Some keys achieve movement relative to the keycap through the sliding of two supports. This structure cannot achieve unilateral sliding; both supports of the scissor-switch mechanism must slide simultaneously, resulting in poor structural stability. When the two supports slide, uneven force application due to different points of application of the user's force on the keycap can cause the two supports to tilt in different directions. Furthermore, the fulcrum of the two supports is easily affected by each other.

[0003] Therefore, a new technology needs to be developed to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the present invention addresses the deficiencies of the existing technology, and its main objective is to provide an X-structure key and keyboard that realizes a relatively single-sided sliding X-structure, implements an X-structure support, reduces the size of the keycaps, and eliminates the need for the two supports to slide simultaneously, making the structure more stable.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: An X-structure key includes a keycap, an X-structure support, an elastomer, a support plate, and a circuit board; The circuit board is located below the support plate; the elastomer is connected to the circuit board and its upper end extends through the support plate and above the support plate; the X-structure support is connected to the support plate, and the keycap is connected to the X-structure support and located above the elastomer; The X-structure bracket includes a first bracket and a second bracket. One end of the first bracket is hinged to one end of the second bracket. The other ends of the first bracket and the second bracket are both connected to a keycap. One end of the first bracket is provided with a sliding fulcrum, and one end of the second bracket is provided with a fixed fulcrum. The bracket plate is provided with a first support part and a second support part. The sliding fulcrum is rotatably connected to the first support part and can slide relative to the first support part. The fixed fulcrum is rotatably connected only to the second support part.

[0006] As a preferred embodiment, the first support portion and the second support portion are arranged side by side in sequence along the left and right direction of the bracket plate. The first support portion has a sliding groove, and the sliding fulcrum is rotatably and slidably positioned in the sliding groove. The second support portion has a fixing hole, and the fixing fulcrum is rotatably positioned in the fixing hole. The sliding groove extends along the left and right direction of the bracket plate, and the distance between the left and right sides of the sliding groove is greater than the diameter of the fixing hole.

[0007] As a preferred embodiment, the left side of the first support has a guide port, which is connected to the slide groove. The bottom of the slide groove is inclined downward from left to right. Directly below the guide port, a guide groove is recessed on the support plate, which is connected to the guide port. The guide groove is connected to the slide groove. The upper end of the inclined part extends to the right side of the guide groove.

[0008] As a preferred embodiment, the X-structure support has a hollow portion, and the upper end of the elastomer extends through the support plate into the hollow portion; the keycap can be selectively displaced downwards or upwards to contact and compress the elastomer or to detach from and release the elastomer.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment, the first bracket has a first relief cavity on the side facing the second bracket, and the second bracket has a second relief cavity on the side facing the first bracket, the first relief cavity and the second relief cavity forming the aforementioned hollow portion.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment, there are two sliding fulcrums, which are symmetrically arranged on the two outer side walls of the first relief cavity. There are also two fixed fulcrums, which are symmetrically arranged on the two outer side walls of the second relief cavity.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment, one end of the first bracket is provided with a connecting shaft, and one end of the second bracket is provided with a connecting hole. The connecting shaft is adapted to the corresponding connecting hole, and the first bracket and the second bracket are only rotatably hinged.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment, the other end of the first bracket and the other end of the second bracket are respectively provided with a first fastening part and a second fastening part, and the left and right sides of the lower surface of the keycap are respectively provided with a third fastening part and a fourth fastening part. The first fastening part and the second fastening part are respectively positioned on the third fastening part and the fourth fastening part, and the second fastening part is slidably positioned in the fastening groove of the fourth fastening part.

[0013] As a preferred embodiment, the support plate has a hollow section in the middle, the upper end of the elastic body extends through the hollow section and out of the support plate, and relief grooves are provided on both the front and rear sides of the hollow section, with one end of the first support and one end of the second support extending into the relief grooves.

[0014] A keyboard including the X-structured keys described above.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has obvious advantages and beneficial effects. Specifically, as can be seen from the above technical solution, it mainly achieves a relatively unilateral sliding X-structure by setting a sliding fulcrum on the first bracket and a fixed fulcrum on the second bracket, and making the sliding fulcrum rotatably connected to the first support part, while the fixed fulcrum is only rotatably connected to the second support part. This realizes the X-structure bracket, reduces the size of the keycap, and the two brackets do not need to slide at the same time, making the structure more stable. It will not cause the phenomenon of uneven force on the two brackets and the keycap tilting in different directions when both brackets can slide due to the different points of application of the force applied by the user to the keycap, and it will not cause the fulcrum of the two brackets to affect each other.

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the structural features, technical means, and specific objectives and functions achieved by the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the overall structure of an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is an exploded view of an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Another angle view of the structure shown; Figure 4 This is another exploded view of an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Another angle view of the structure shown; Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached diagram: 10. Keycaps 11. Third latching part 12. Fourth fastening part 121. Fastening groove 20. X-structure support 21. First support 211. Sliding fulcrum; 22. Second support 221. Fixed fulcrum; 23. Hollow section 24. Connecting shaft 25. Connecting hole 26. First fastening part; 27. Second fastening part 30. Elastomer; 40. Support plate 41. First support part; 411. Slide groove 412. Guide port; 413. Inclined section 414. Guide groove; 42. Second support section 421. Fixing hole; 422. Left clamping arm 423. Right clamping arm; 424. Opening 43. Hollowed-out section 44. Relief groove 50. Circuit board. Detailed Implementation

[0019] Please refer to Figures 1 to 6 As shown, it illustrates the specific structure of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] A keyboard includes keys with an X-structure support 20; wherein, the keys of the X-structure support 20 include keycaps 10, the X-structure support 20, an elastic body 30, a support plate 40, and a circuit board 50; the circuit board 50 is disposed below the support plate 40; the elastic body 30 is connected to the circuit board 50, and its upper end extends through the support plate 40 and above the support plate 40; the X-structure support 20 is connected to the support plate 40, and the keycaps 10 are connected to the X-structure support 20 and located above the elastic body 30; the X-structure support 20 includes a first support 21 and a second support... The bracket 22 has one end of the first bracket 21 hinged to one end of the second bracket 22. The other ends of the first bracket 21 and the second bracket 22 are both connected to the keycap 10. One end of the first bracket 21 is provided with a sliding fulcrum 211, and one end of the second bracket 22 is provided with a fixed fulcrum 221. The bracket plate 40 is provided with a first support part 41 and a second support part 42. The sliding fulcrum 211 is rotatably connected to the first support part 41 and can slide relative to the first support part 41. The fixed fulcrum 221 is rotatably connected only to the second support part 42. Thus, by setting a sliding fulcrum 211 on the first bracket 21 and a fixed fulcrum 221 on the second bracket 22, and making the sliding fulcrum 211 rotatably connected to the first support part 41, and the fixed fulcrum 221 rotatably connected to the second support part 42, a relatively unilateral sliding arrangement of the X structure is achieved, realizing the X structure bracket 20, reducing the size of the keycap 10, and the two brackets do not need to slide at the same time, making the structure more stable. When both brackets can slide, the force applied by the user to the keycap 10 will not be unevenly applied to the two brackets, causing the keycap 10 to tilt in different directions, and the fulcrums of the two brackets will not affect each other.

[0021] The first support portion 41 and the second support portion 42 are arranged side by side along the left-right direction of the bracket plate 40. The first support portion 41 has a groove 411, and the sliding fulcrum 211 is rotatably and slidably positioned within the groove 411. The second support portion 42 has a fixing hole 421, and the fixing fulcrum 221 is rotatably positioned within the fixing hole 421. The groove 411 extends along the left-right direction of the bracket plate 40, and the distance between the left and right sides of the groove 411 is greater than the diameter of the fixing hole 421. Thus, by setting the groove 411 and the fixing hole 421, the sliding fulcrum 211 and the fixing fulcrum 221 are respectively confined within the corresponding groove 411 and fixing hole 421, and the distance between the left and right sides of the groove 411 is greater than the diameter of the fixing hole 421. This allows the sliding fulcrum 211 to slide smoothly left and right, while the fixing fulcrum 221 can only rotate and cannot slide.

[0022] In this embodiment, both the sliding fulcrum 211 and the fixed fulcrum 221 are cylindrical shafts; the second support portion 42 includes a left clamping arm 422 and a right clamping arm 423; the left clamping arm 422 facing the right clamping arm 423 and the right clamping arm 423 facing the left clamping arm 422 are provided with arc-shaped recesses to form the aforementioned fixing hole 421; an opening 424 is provided between the upper ends of the left clamping arm 422 and the right clamping arm 423 to form a gap, thereby allowing the left clamping arm 422 and the right clamping arm 423 to undergo a certain elastic deformation, so that the fixed fulcrum 221 can be more smoothly assembled and positioned in the fixing hole 421.

[0023] Preferably, the left side of the first support portion 41 has a guide port 412, which is connected to the slide groove 411. The bottom of the slide groove 411 is inclined downward from left to right with an inclined portion 413. Directly below the guide port 412, a guide groove 414 is recessed on the support plate 40, which is connected to the guide port 412. The guide groove 414 is connected to the slide groove 411, and the upper end of the inclined portion 413 extends to the right side of the guide groove 414. Thus, through the combined design of the guide port 412 and the guide groove 414, the sliding fulcrum 211 can be smoothly slidably positioned within the slide groove 411. Furthermore, the inclined portion 413 extends the sliding distance of the sliding fulcrum 211 while ensuring its smooth sliding.

[0024] The X-structure bracket 20 has a hollow portion 23, and the upper end of the elastomer 30 extends through the bracket plate 40 into the hollow portion 23. The keycap 10 can selectively move downward or upward to contact and compress the elastomer 30 or to detach and release the elastomer 30. The first bracket 21 has a first relief cavity on the side facing the second bracket 22, and the second bracket 22 has a second relief cavity on the side facing the first bracket 21. The first relief cavity and the second relief cavity form the aforementioned hollow portion 23. In this embodiment, there are two sliding fulcrums 211, which are symmetrically arranged on the front and rear outer side walls of the first relief cavity. There are also two fixed fulcrums 221, which are symmetrically arranged on the front and rear outer side walls of the second relief cavity.

[0025] One end of the first bracket 21 is provided with a connecting shaft 24, and one end of the second bracket 22 is provided with a connecting hole 25. The connecting shaft 24 is adapted to the corresponding connecting hole 25. The first bracket 21 and the second bracket 22 are only rotatably hinged. The other end of the first bracket 21 and the other end of the second bracket 22 are respectively provided with a first fastening part 26 and a second fastening part 27. The lower surface of the keycap 10 is provided with a third fastening part 11 and a fourth fastening part 12 on the left and right sides respectively. The first fastening part 26 and the second fastening part 27 are respectively positioned on the third fastening part 11 and the fourth fastening part 12. The second fastening part 27 is slidably positioned in the fastening groove 121 of the fourth fastening part 12. In this embodiment, the connecting shaft 24 is provided on the outside of the first bracket 21. Two sliding fulcrums 211 are located on one side of the corresponding connecting shaft 24 of the first bracket 21, and two fixed fulcrums 221 are located on one side of the corresponding connecting hole 25 of the second bracket 22.

[0026] The support plate 40 has a hollow portion 43 in the middle. The upper end of the elastic body 30 extends through the hollow portion 43 and out of the support plate 40. Relief grooves 44 are provided on both the front and rear sides of the hollow portion 43. One end of the first support 21 and one end of the second support 22 extend into the relief grooves 44. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the sliding groove 411 and the fixing hole 421 are both connected to the relief groove 44, so that the sliding fulcrum 211 and the fixing fulcrum 221 are smoothly confined within the sliding groove 411 and the fixing hole 421.

[0027] In this embodiment, the circuit board 50 includes a support plate and a conductive film connected to the support plate.

[0028] In summary, the key design feature of this invention lies in its ability to achieve a relatively unilateral sliding X-structure by setting a sliding fulcrum on the first support and a fixed fulcrum on the second support. The sliding fulcrum is rotatably connected to the first support, while the fixed fulcrum is rotatably connected to the second support. This results in an X-structure support, reducing the keycap size. Furthermore, the two supports do not need to slide simultaneously, leading to greater structural stability. This prevents uneven force distribution on the two supports, which could cause the keycap to tilt in different directions, when both supports can slide. Additionally, the fulcrums of the two supports do not interfere with each other.

Claims

1. A button with an X-structure, characterized in that: Includes keycaps, X-structure brackets, elastomers, bracket plates, and circuit boards; The circuit board is located below the support plate; the elastomer is connected to the circuit board and its upper end extends through the support plate and above the support plate; the X-structure support is connected to the support plate, and the keycap is connected to the X-structure support and located above the elastomer; The X-structure bracket includes a first bracket and a second bracket. One end of the first bracket is hinged to one end of the second bracket. The other ends of the first bracket and the second bracket are both connected to a keycap. One end of the first bracket is provided with a sliding fulcrum, and one end of the second bracket is provided with a fixed fulcrum. The bracket plate is provided with a first support part and a second support part. The sliding fulcrum is rotatably connected to the first support part and can slide relative to the first support part. This fixed fulcrum is rotatably connected to the second support section only; The first support part and the second support part are arranged side by side in sequence along the left and right direction of the bracket plate. The first support part has a sliding groove, and the sliding fulcrum can be rotatably and slidably positioned in the sliding groove. The second support part has a fixing hole, and the fixing fulcrum can only be rotatably positioned in the fixing hole. The sliding groove extends along the left and right direction of the bracket plate, and the distance between the left and right directions of the sliding groove is greater than the diameter of the fixing hole. The first support has a guide port on the left side, the guide port is connected to the slide groove, the bottom of the slide groove is inclined from left to right downwards, and a guide groove connected to the guide port is recessed on the support plate directly below the guide port, the guide groove is connected to the slide groove, and the upper end of the inclined part extends to the right side of the guide groove. The support plate has a hollowed-out section in the middle, and the upper end of the elastic body extends through the hollowed-out section and out of the support plate. Both the front and rear sides of the hollowed-out section are provided with relief grooves, and one end of the first support and one end of the second support extend into the relief grooves. The X-structure support has a hollow portion, and the upper end of the elastomer extends through the support plate into the hollow portion; the keycap can selectively move downward or upward to contact and compress the elastomer or detach from and release the elastomer; One end of the first bracket is provided with a connecting shaft, and one end of the second bracket is provided with a connecting hole. The connecting shaft is adapted to the corresponding connecting hole. The first bracket and the second bracket can only be rotatably hinged. The other end of the first bracket and the other end of the second bracket are respectively provided with a first fastening part and a second fastening part. The left and right sides of the lower surface of the keycap are respectively provided with a third fastening part and a fourth fastening part. The first fastening part and the second fastening part are respectively positioned on the third fastening part and the fourth fastening part. The second fastening part can be slidably positioned in the fastening groove of the fourth fastening part.

2. The X-structure button according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first bracket has a first relief cavity on the side facing the second bracket, and the second bracket has a second relief cavity on the side facing the first bracket. The first relief cavity and the second relief cavity together form the aforementioned hollow portion.

3. A button with an X structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: There are two sliding fulcrums, which are symmetrically arranged on the two outer side walls of the first relief cavity. There are also two fixed fulcrums, which are symmetrically arranged on the two outer side walls of the second relief cavity.

4. A keyboard, characterized in that: Includes a button with an X structure as described in any one of claims 1 to 3.

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