A sandwich sheet-type luminous key core module with light guide film

Abstract

The present invention discloses a sandwich sheet-type luminous key core module with a light-guiding film. The key core module includes a supporting structure, an insulating layer, a circuit layer, a spacer layer, a conductive layer, a light-guiding film, a composite film, an elastic conductive part, an LED lamp and a keycap. A first through hole is opened on the spacer layer corresponding to the position of the keycap. The elastic conductive part is arranged corresponding to the position of the first through hole. The elastic conductive part is fixedly installed above the conductive layer. A conductive sheet is fixedly arranged below the conductive layer corresponding to the position of the elastic conductive part. A second through hole is opened on the light-guiding film corresponding to the first through hole. A third through hole is opened on the composite film corresponding to the position of the keycap. A fourth through hole is opened on the spacer layer corresponding to the position of the LED lamp. A fifth through hole is opened on the conductive layer corresponding to the position of the LED lamp. A sixth through hole is opened on the light-guiding film corresponding to the position of the LED lamp. The LED lamp is installed in the fourth through hole, the fifth through hole and the sixth through hole. The keycap is arranged above the elastic conductive part.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a key core module, in particular to a sandwich sheet type luminous key core module with a light guide film, which is applied to the field of computer equipment accessories. Background Art

[0002] Currently, the keyboard is the most commonly used and most important input device. Through the keyboard, English letters, Chinese characters, numbers, punctuation marks, etc. can be input into the computer, thereby issuing commands to the computer, inputting data, etc. It can be said that since the day the computer was invented, the keyboard has been one of the indispensable peripheral devices of the computer.

[0003] With the continuous development of keyboards, in order to make the keyboard have a better use effect, luminous keyboards (or backlit keyboards) came into being. The keycaps are designed to be a light-transmitting structure, and the light emitted by the backlight module is used to illuminate the keycaps. On the one hand, it is more suitable for night-time input and easy to see the words on the keycaps. On the other hand, it also produces a cooler effect. The luminous keyboard structure in the existing technology is to set a backlight module inside the keyboard. The backlight module emits light to illuminate the keycaps. The backlight module usually includes a light-shielding film, a light-guiding film, a reflective film and an LED. The light-shielding film, the light-guiding film and the reflective film are stacked. The LED is set on the side of the light-guiding film. The light emitted by the LED enters the light-guiding film and is guided through the light-guiding film to each keycap to illuminate the keycaps. The common backlight keyboards currently have inherent disadvantages due to their structural limitations: (1) Due to the limitation of the backlight module, especially the LED in the backlight module, the thickness of the entire backlight module is more than 0.5mm, which affects the thinness of the entire keyboard; (2) It uses a light-guiding film combined with an LED structure to emit light, so its LED needs to be a high-power, high-brightness LED. On the one hand, high-power, high-brightness LED will cause its power consumption to be too high, resulting in high power consumption. On the other hand, high-power, high-brightness LED will generate a lot of heat during use. Since there are only one or a few LEDs, the heat is concentrated, which will cause poor heat dissipation effect and local heating of the keyboard, affecting the customer's user experience. Especially when it is used in a laptop computer, it will also affect the laptop's own heat dissipation effect. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In response to the above-mentioned shortcomings of the luminous keyboard in the prior art that uses a backlight module for illumination, which is relatively thick, has high power consumption and poor heat dissipation, the present invention provides a sandwich sheet-type luminous key core module with a light-guiding film, which adopts a special luminous key core module and uses LEDs corresponding to the keycaps to directly illuminate the keycap area to solve the above problems.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve its technical problems is: a sandwich sheet-type luminous key core module with a light-guiding film, the key core module includes a support structure, an insulating layer, a circuit layer, a spacer layer, a conductive layer, a light-guiding film, a composite film, an elastic conductive part, an LED lamp and a keycap, the insulating layer is arranged on the support structure, the circuit layer is arranged on the insulating layer, a switch is arranged on the circuit layer at a position corresponding to the keycap, the spacer layer is arranged above the insulating layer, a first through hole is opened on the spacer layer at a position corresponding to the keycap, the elastic conductive part is arranged corresponding to the position of the first through hole, the conductive layer is arranged above the spacer layer, the elastic conductive part is fixedly installed above the conductive layer, and the conductive layer is below the conductive layer. A conductive sheet is fixedly provided at the position of the elastic conductive part, and the conductive sheet is provided corresponding to the first through hole. A light guide film is provided above the conductive layer, and a second through hole is provided on the light guide film corresponding to the first through hole. A composite film is provided above the light guide film, and a third through hole is provided on the composite film corresponding to the position of the keycap. The LED lamp is installed on the circuit layer and is provided corresponding to the keycap. A fourth through hole is provided on the spacer layer corresponding to the position of the LED lamp, a fifth through hole is provided on the conductive layer corresponding to the position of the LED lamp, and a sixth through hole is provided on the light guide film corresponding to the position of the LED lamp. The LED lamp is installed in the fourth through hole, the fifth through hole and the sixth through hole, and the keycap is provided above the elastic conductive part.

[0006] Furthermore, the support structure is made of steel sheets with a thickness of 0.10 mm to 0.25 mm.

[0007] Furthermore, the insulating layer is fixedly mounted to the supporting structure by an adhesive layer, and the thickness of the insulating layer is 0.02 mm to 0.05 mm.

[0008] Furthermore, the thickness of the spacer layer is 0.02 to 0.07 mm.

[0009] Furthermore, the light-guiding film has a thickness of 0.08 to 0.12 mm.

[0010] Furthermore, the composite film has a thickness of 0.020 to 0.30 mm.

[0011] Furthermore, 1 to 4 LEDs may be provided corresponding to each keycap.

[0012] Furthermore, a scissor foot is installed between the key cap and the elastic conductive member, and the key cap and the scissor foot are respectively installed on the steel sheet.

[0013] Furthermore, a mounting hole is provided on the steel sheet at a position corresponding to the scissor leg, and the scissor leg is inserted into the mounting hole.

[0014] Furthermore, there are four mounting holes, and the openings between two mounting holes are arranged opposite to each other.

[0015] Beneficial effects of the present invention: The present invention provides a sandwich sheet-type luminous key core module with a light-guiding film, which uses LEDs corresponding to the keycaps to directly illuminate the keycap area, thereby eliminating the need for a backlight module structure, which can reduce the thickness of the keyboard as a whole, and is more conducive to the lightweight design of the keyboard; on the other hand, LEDs are used to directly illuminate the keycap area, and low-power components can be used for LEDs, which is not only conducive to reducing power consumption as a whole, but also reduces its own heat generation. At the same time, since the LEDs adopt a decentralized design, they are more conducive to heat dissipation, especially when used in laptops, and the keyboard can also assist in dissipating the heat generated by the laptop itself (mainly the CPU). BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the partial three-dimensional exploded structure of a single keycap of a sandwich-type luminous key core module with a light-guiding film provided by the present invention;

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of a single keycap of a sandwich-type luminous key core module with a light-guiding film provided by the present invention;

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a partial top view of a single keycap of a sandwich-type luminous key core module with a light-guiding film provided by the present invention;

[0019] Figure 4 The present invention provides a schematic diagram of the partial steel sheet structure of a single keycap of a sandwich sheet-type luminous key core module with a light-guiding film.

[0020] Figure numerals: 1-steel sheet, 2-adhesive layer, 3-insulating layer, 4-circuit layer, 5-spacer layer, 6-conductive layer, 7-light guide film, 8-composite film, 9-scissor foot, 10-keycap, 11-elastic conductive part, 12-LED lamp, 13-switch, 14-conductive sheet, 15-first through hole, 16-second through hole, 17-third through hole, 18-fourth through hole, 19-fifth through hole, 20-sixth through hole, 21-mounting hole, 22-protrusion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and effect of the present invention clearer and more specific, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0022] See also Figure 1-4The present invention provides a sandwich-type luminous key core module with a light-guiding film, which is shown in the accompanying drawings as a structure of a single keyboard keycap. The key core module includes a support structure, an insulating layer 3, a circuit layer 4, a spacer layer 5, a conductive layer 6, a light-guiding film 7, a composite film 8, an elastic conductive member 11, an LED lamp 12, and a keycap 10. The insulating layer 3 is arranged on the support structure, the circuit layer 4 is arranged on the insulating layer 3, and a switch 13 is arranged on the circuit layer 4 at a position corresponding to the keycap 10. The spacer layer 5 is arranged above the insulating layer 3, and a first through hole 15 is opened on the spacer layer 5 at a position corresponding to the keycap 10. The elastic conductive member 11 is arranged at a position corresponding to the first through hole 15. The conductive layer 6 is arranged above the spacer layer 5, and the elastic conductive member 11 is fixedly installed above the conductive layer 6. A conductive sheet 14 is fixedly arranged below the conductive layer 6 at a position corresponding to the elastic conductive member 11. The conductive sheet 14 is arranged corresponding to the first through hole 15. A light-guiding film 7 is arranged above the conductive layer 6. A second through hole 16 is provided on the light-guiding film 7 corresponding to the first through hole 15. A composite film 8 is provided above the light-guiding film 7 (because it has both reflective and shading functions, it is defined as a composite film). A third through hole 17 is provided on the composite film 8 corresponding to the position of the keycap 10, so that the light emitted by the LED lamp 12 can be irradiated into the light-guiding film 7 and then emitted from the composite film 8, thereby illuminating the keycap 10. The LED lamp 12 is installed on the circuit layer 4 and is arranged corresponding to the keycap 10. A fourth through hole 18 is provided on the spacer layer 5 corresponding to the position of the LED lamp 12. A fifth through hole 19 is provided on the conductive layer 6 corresponding to the position of the LED lamp 12. A sixth through hole 20 is provided on the light-guiding film 7 corresponding to the position of the LED lamp 12. The LED lamp 12 is installed in the fourth through hole 18, the fifth through hole 19 and the sixth through hole 20. The keycap 10 is arranged above the elastic conductive member 11. In this embodiment, the conductive sheet 14 is formed on the light-guiding film 7 by coating using silver paste dots. In this embodiment, the elastic conductive member 11 is a spring, which can also be called a RubberDome or a pot sheet. In specific implementation, a rubber or silicone key can also be used, which mainly plays the role of elastic support and increasing the feel. In this embodiment, the insulating layer 3 is made of polyimide insulating material and is used to attach and fix the circuit layer 4. In specific implementation, the insulating layer 3 and the circuit layer 4 can also adopt an FPC structure or other circuit board structures in the prior art. The insulating layer 3 can also be made of other insulating materials that can be adapted to attach the circuit layer 4. The thickness of the insulating layer 3 is 0.02mm to 0.05mm, which is sufficient to meet the adhesion requirements of the circuit layer 4. In this embodiment, the circuit layer 4 is a copper foil circuit, which is attached to the insulating layer 3 and can be formed by conventional circuit board processing techniques such as etching, silk screen printing, or pasting. The circuit structure of the circuit layer 4 adopts a conventional keyboard circuit and a conventional LED lamp drive circuit structure, which is not limited in the present invention. A switch 13, i.e., a keyboard key switch, is provided on the circuit layer 4 at the position corresponding to the keycap. The switch 13 has the same structure as a conventional keyboard.

[0023] In this embodiment, the support structure is constructed of a steel sheet 1 with a thickness of 0.10mm to 0.25mm. This satisfies strength requirements without making the structure too thick. When the present invention is used in a scissor-foot keyboard, the steel sheet 1 is further provided with mounting structures, such as mounting holes and hooks, for attaching the scissor feet and keycaps. This mounting structure is identical to that of a conventional keyboard and will not be further described here.

[0024] In this embodiment, the insulating layer 3 is fixed to the support structure using an adhesive layer 2. The thickness of the insulating layer 3 is 0.02 mm to 0.05 mm. The adhesive layer 2 is preferably a thermosetting adhesive for ease of processing. In practice, materials such as self-adhesive adhesive can also be used. The thickness of the adhesive layer 2 is negligible and only needs to meet the bonding requirements. Alternatively, during production and processing, the adhesive layer 2 can be omitted and other fixing structures can be used to fix the insulating layer 3 to the steel sheet 1. Alternatively, the insulating layer 3 can be directly placed on the steel sheet 1.

[0025] In this embodiment, the thickness of the spacer layer 5 is 0.02-0.07 mm. The spacer layer 5 is made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) material, preferably 0.05 mm, and mainly plays an insulating role. In specific implementation, it can also be made of other materials with insulating properties.

[0026] In this embodiment, the thickness of the light guide film 7 is 0.08-0.12 mm. The light guide film 7 is made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) material, preferably 0.10 mm. In specific implementation, it can also be made of other materials.

[0027] In this embodiment, the thickness of the composite film 8 is 0.020 to 0.30 mm. Preferably, it is 0.025 mm. In specific implementation, it can also be made of other materials. The lower layer of the composite film 8 is provided with white ink for light reflection, which can reflect the upward light emitted by the LED lamp 12 back into the light-guiding film 7 to enhance its brightness. The upper layer of the composite film 8 is provided with black ink for light shielding to prevent light from being transmitted through areas other than the keycap 10, which would affect the overall performance of the keyboard. In this embodiment, the white ink and black ink are provided on the composite film 8 by printing. In specific implementation, other methods can also be used, such as spraying, silk-screening, etc. No ink is provided on the composite film 8 corresponding to the keycap 10, so that the light in the light-guiding film 7 can be emitted from this location to illuminate the keyboard keys. In specific implementation, the composite film 8 can also be a white film with black ink printed on the top layer, or a black film with white ink printed on the bottom layer, with through holes provided at the keycap 10 locations to allow light to pass through.

[0028] In this embodiment, 1 to 4 LEDs can be provided for each keycap 10. Common keys are typically provided with one or two LEDs 12. Larger and longer keys, such as "Enter," "Shift," and "Space," are typically provided with two to four LEDs 12 to meet their lighting needs. More LEDs can be provided for each keycap based on actual needs. LEDs may not be provided under keycaps that do not require lighting.

[0029] In this embodiment, a scissor leg 9 is installed between the keycap 10 and the elastic conductive member 11, and the keycap 10 and the scissor leg 9 are respectively installed on the steel sheet 1. When the keycap 10 is pressed, the scissor leg 9 is squeezed by the keycap 10. Continuing to press down presses the elastic conductive member 11, causing the elastic conductive member 11 to deform. The elastic conductive member 11 presses down the composite film 8 and the light guide film 7. The composite film 8, the light guide film 7, and the conductive sheet 14 move downward together. Through the first through hole 15 in the spacer layer 5, the conductive sheet 14 contacts the switch 13, turning it on, thereby achieving the key press effect. When the keycap 10 is released, the scissor leg 9 and the elastic conductive member 11 rebound, and the conductive sheet 14 disengages from the switch 13, turning it off.

[0030] In this embodiment, in order to ensure the stability of the scissor foot 9, a mounting hole 21 is provided on the steel sheet 1 at a position corresponding to the scissor foot 9, and the scissor foot 9 is inserted into the mounting hole 21, so that during the rebound process of the scissor foot 9, a portion of the scissor foot 9 is relatively connected to the steel sheet 1, thereby increasing the stability of a single key. An upward protrusion 22 is provided on the edge of the mounting hole 21, so that the protrusion 22 of the mounting hole 21 supports the scissor foot 9, thereby further increasing the stability of a single key when in use.

[0031] In this embodiment, when installed, there are four mounting holes 21, two mounting holes 21 form a group, two mounting holes 21 on the same horizontal line form a group, and the openings between the two mounting holes 21 are set relative or oppositely, so that the scissor legs 9 are engaged in a group of mounting holes 21, increasing its fastening type and preventing the scissor legs 9 from falling off.

[0032] It should be understood that the application of the present invention is not limited to the above examples. For those skilled in the art, improvements or changes can be made based on the above description. All these improvements and changes should fall within the scope of protection of the claims attached to the present invention.

Claims

1. A sandwich sheet-type luminous key core module with a light guide film, characterized in that: The key core module comprises a support structure, an insulating layer (3), a circuit layer (4), a spacer layer (5), a conductive layer (6), a light guide film (7), a composite film (8), an elastic conductive member (11), an LED lamp (12) and a key cap (10), wherein the insulating layer (3) is arranged on the support structure, the circuit layer (4) is arranged on the insulating layer (3), a switch (13) is arranged on the circuit layer (4) at a position corresponding to the key cap (10), the spacer layer (5) is arranged above the insulating layer (3), a first through hole (15) is opened on the spacer layer (5) at a position corresponding to the key cap (10), the elastic conductive member (11) is arranged at a position corresponding to the first through hole (15), the conductive layer (6) is arranged above the spacer layer (5), the elastic conductive member (11) is fixedly installed above the conductive layer (6), a conductive sheet (14) is fixedly arranged below the conductive layer (6) at a position corresponding to the elastic conductive member (11), and the conductive sheet (14) is fixedly arranged at a position corresponding to the elastic conductive member (11). ) is provided corresponding to the first through hole (15), the light guide film (7) is provided above the conductive layer (6), the light guide film (7) is provided with a second through hole (16) corresponding to the first through hole (15), a composite film (8) is provided above the light guide film (7), the composite film (8) is provided with a third through hole (17) corresponding to the position of the key cap (10), the LED lamp (12) is installed on the circuit layer (4) and is provided corresponding to the key cap (10), a fourth through hole (18) is provided on the spacer layer (5) corresponding to the position of the LED lamp (12), a fifth through hole (19) is provided on the conductive layer (6) corresponding to the position of the LED lamp (12), a sixth through hole (20) is provided on the light guide film (7) corresponding to the position of the LED lamp (12), the LED lamp (12) is installed in the fourth through hole (18), the fifth through hole (19) and the sixth through hole (20), and the key cap (10) is provided above the elastic conductive member (11); The composite film (8) has a thickness of 0.020-0.30 mm; The supporting structure is made of steel sheets (1); A scissor foot (9) is installed between the key cap (10) and the elastic conductive member (11); A mounting hole (21) is provided on the steel sheet at a position corresponding to the scissor leg (9), and the scissor leg (9) is inserted into the mounting hole (21); The lower layer of the composite film (7) is provided with white ink, and the upper layer of the composite film (7) is provided with black ink.

2. The sandwich-type luminous key core module with a light guide film according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thickness of the steel sheet is 0.10mm~0.25mm.

3. The sandwich-type luminous key core module with a light guide film according to claim 1, characterized in that: The insulating layer (3) is fixedly mounted together with the supporting structure using the adhesive layer (2), and the thickness of the insulating layer (3) is 0.02 mm to 0.05 mm.

4. The sandwich-type luminous key core module with a light guide film according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thickness of the spacer layer (5) is 0.02-0.07 mm.

5. The sandwich-type luminous key core module with a light guide film according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thickness of the light-guiding film (7) is 0.08-0.12 mm.

6. The sandwich-type luminous key core module with a light guide film according to claim 1, characterized in that: 1 to 4 LEDs can be provided corresponding to each keycap (10).

7. The sandwich-type luminous key core module with a light guide film according to claim 1, characterized in that: The key cap (10) and the scissor legs (9) are respectively mounted on the steel sheet (1).

8. The sandwich-type luminous key core module with a light guide film according to claim 1, characterized in that: Four mounting holes (21) are provided, and the openings between two mounting holes (21) are arranged opposite to or opposite to each other.

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