Key structure and its keycap assembly

Abstract

The application discloses a key structure, which comprises a shell, a reset member and a key cap assembly. The shell has an opening. The reset member is arranged in the shell. The key cap assembly comprises a key cap and a base. The key cap comprises a pressing portion, a central shaft and at least one first hook. The pressing portion has a bottom surface. The central shaft is connected to the bottom surface and the first hook. The central shaft has a spherical portion which is close to the bottom surface. The base is arranged in the shell from the opening and is in contact with the reset member. The base comprises a shaft hole. The shaft hole has an arc-shaped slot. The central shaft passes through the shaft hole and is in contact with the reset member, and the spherical portion is arranged in the arc-shaped slot.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a button structure. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the keyboard is an indispensable input device for computer users. Both computers themselves and their peripherals are evolving towards a lighter, thinner, shorter, and smaller design philosophy, and keyboards have also transformed from large, bulky designs to thinner models. Thin keyboards typically use membrane circuit boards and are therefore called membrane keyboards. The main components of a membrane keyboard include the membrane circuit board, a reset element (or elastic element), and keycaps. Pressing a keycap triggers the switch on the membrane circuit board, and the reset element provides the force for the keycap to return to its original position.

[0003] In addition, common mechanisms for assisting keycap height adjustment include the scissor mechanism and the crater mechanism. The scissor mechanism involves forming multiple raised openings in the keyboard casing for keycap installation. Correspondingly, the keycap has guide posts and latches. The guide posts guide the latches along the inner wall of the openings into the casing (opening), where the latches engage with the bottom edge of the opening, completing the keycap installation. When the keycap is raised or lowered, the limiting action of the guide posts and the inner wall of the openings ensures that the keycap moves vertically without tilting.

[0004] However, when pressing the corner of the keycap (i.e., one of the four corners of the keycap), the guide post and the inner wall of the opening limit the space for the keycap and its guide post to move, making it more prone to jamming (or key jamming). More pressing force must be applied, so there is a need for improvement. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the above-mentioned problems, the main objective of the present invention is to provide a key structure and a keycap assembly thereof. The keycap assembly includes a keycap and a base, and the novel structural design of the keycap and the base solves the problem of key jamming that is prone to occur in the existing key structure using the volcano structure.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a key structure comprising a housing, a reset member, and a keycap assembly. The housing has an opening. The reset member is disposed within the housing. The keycap assembly includes a keycap and a base. The keycap includes a pressing portion and a central shaft. The pressing portion has a bottom surface. The central shaft is connected to the bottom surface. The central shaft has a spherical portion near the bottom surface. The base is inserted into the housing through the opening and contacts the reset member. The base includes a shaft hole. The shaft hole has an arcuate groove. A central rod passes through the shaft hole and contacts the reset member, and the spherical portion is accommodated in the arcuate groove.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention further provides a keycap assembly applied to a key structure. The key structure includes a housing and a reset member. The housing has an opening, and the reset member is disposed within the housing. The keycap assembly includes a keycap and a base. The keycap includes a pressing portion and a central shaft. The pressing portion has a bottom surface. The central shaft is connected to the bottom surface. The central shaft has a spherical portion near the bottom surface. A first latch is connected to the bottom surface. The base is inserted into the housing through the opening and contacts the reset member. The base includes a shaft hole. The shaft hole has an arcuate groove. A central rod passes through the shaft hole and contacts the reset member, and the spherical portion is accommodated in the arcuate groove.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present invention, when the pressing part is pressed, the spherical part is displaced within the arcuate groove.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present invention, when one edge of the pressing portion is pressed, the contact point between the spherical portion and the arcuate groove forms a resistance point.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the central shaft further has a shaft portion that extends from the spherical portion in a direction away from the bottom surface.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the shaft portion and the shaft hole are both non-circular structures.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the shaft portion has a first plane, and the shaft hole of the base has a second plane, the first plane corresponding to the second plane to restrict the shaft portion from rotating within the shaft hole.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the base further includes a guide post that contacts the inner wall of the opening, and the top surface of the guide post does not contact the pressing part.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the guide post corresponds to one of the included angles of the opening, and the base is guided into the housing by the guide post.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the guide post has an arcuate side surface, which is in line contact with the inner wall of the opening.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the top surface of the guide post is an outward-facing slope extending toward the housing.

[0017] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the keycap includes at least one first hook connected to the bottom surface, the first hook being inserted into the housing from the opening and engaging with the housing.

[0018] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the base further includes at least one second hook, which is inserted into the housing from the opening and engaged with the housing.

[0019] As described above, according to the key structure and keycap assembly of the present invention, the keycap assembly includes a keycap and a base. The keycap's central shaft has a spherical portion, while the base's shaft hole has a corresponding arcuate groove. When the central shaft passes through the shaft hole, the spherical portion is accommodated in the arcuate groove. The interlocking structure of the spherical portion and the arcuate groove allows the spherical portion to move within the arcuate groove, thereby increasing the keycap's movement space. In short, the keycap assembly is a two-piece structure (i.e., keycap and base), with interlocking spherical portion and arcuate groove, which increases the keycap's movement space, thereby preventing key jamming.

[0020] In addition, the base has guide posts. By designing that the guide posts do not contact the pressing part of the keycaps, it can be ensured that the pressing part has room to shift or tilt and will not be restricted by the guide posts, so as to achieve the aforementioned effect of avoiding key jamming. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is an exploded view of the button structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 for Figure 1 The diagram shows the key structure applied to a keyboard.

[0023] Figure 3 for Figure 1 The diagram shows a keycap.

[0024] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the base shown.

[0025] Figure 5 for Figure 1 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the assembled button structure along line AA.

[0026] Figure 6 for Figure 1 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the assembled button structure along the BB line.

[0027] Figure 7 for Figure 5 The button structure shown is a schematic diagram illustrating the resistance point.

[0028] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0029] Button Structure 1

[0030] Casing 10

[0031] Opening 11

[0032] Inner wall 111

[0033] Angle 112

[0034] Reset component 20

[0035] Keycap assembly 30

[0036] Keycaps 40

[0037] Pressing part 41

[0038] Bottom 411

[0039] Central axis 42

[0040] spherical part 421

[0041] Shaft 422

[0042] First plane 4221

[0043] Recess 423

[0044] Hollow structure 424

[0045] First hook 43

[0046] Base 50

[0047] Guide column 51

[0048] Curved side 511

[0049] Top surface 512

[0050] Shaft hole 52

[0051] Arc groove 521

[0052] Second plane 522

[0053] Second hook 53

[0054] Keyboard 100

[0055] Ontology 101

[0056] AA line

[0057] BB line

[0058] Lever arm D1

[0059] resistance arms D2, D3

[0060] Resistance point R Detailed Implementation

[0061] To better understand the technical content of the present invention, preferred embodiments are described below.

[0062] Figure 1 This is an exploded view of the button structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 for Figure 1The diagram shown illustrates the application of the key structure in a keyboard. Figure 3 for Figure 1 The diagram shown illustrates the keycaps. Figure 4 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the base shown. Figure 5 for Figure 1 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the assembled button structure along line AA. Figure 6 for Figure 1 The diagram shown is a cross-sectional view of the assembled button structure along the BB line. Please refer to the aforementioned diagram for further explanation. In this embodiment, the button structure 1 includes a housing 10, a reset member 20, and a keycap assembly 30. (As shown...) Figure 2 As shown, the housing 10 is a hollow groove with an opening 11, allowing the reset member 20 and part of the keycap assembly 30 to be inserted into the housing 10 through the opening 11. It should be noted that the key structure 1 can be applied to the keyboard 100, and the housing 10 of the key structure 1 and the body 101 of the keyboard 100 can be an integral structure or assembled from different components; this invention is not limited to these two types.

[0063] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the reset member 20 is disposed within the housing 10 and corresponds to the opening 11, allowing a portion of the keycap assembly 30 to be inserted into the housing 10 through the opening 11 and to contact the reset member 20. The reset member 20 is a spring-loaded element, which may be, for example but not limited to, a rubber elastic element, a metal spring, a spring sheet, a micro switch, a magnetic element, etc., to provide a spring force for the pressed keycap assembly 30 to return to its original position.

[0064] The keycap assembly 30 in this embodiment includes keycaps 40 and a base 50. Please refer to... Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the keycap 40 includes a pressing portion 41 and a central shaft 42. The pressing portion 41 has a bottom surface 411, and the central shaft 42 is connected to the bottom surface 411. In other words, the central shaft 42 extends from the bottom surface 411 in a direction away from the pressing portion 41.

[0065] In this embodiment, the central shaft 42 has a spherical portion 421, and the spherical portion 421 is close to the bottom surface 411 of the pressing portion 41. In other words, the spherical portion 421 is formed at the connection between the central shaft 42 and the pressing portion 41. Figure 3As shown, the spherical portion 421 is a hemispherical body. The circular plane of the hemispherical body (spherical portion 421) is connected to the bottom surface 411, while the spherical surface faces away from the bottom surface 411. Furthermore, the central shaft 42 also has a shaft portion 422, which is connected to the spherical surface of the spherical portion 421 and extends from the spherical portion 421 in a direction away from the bottom surface 411. The keycap 40 of this embodiment can be manufactured by injection molding. Preferably, to avoid shrinkage of the spherical portion 421 and shaft portion 422 during molding, the spherical portion 421 and shaft portion 422 are designed with a hollowed-out structure, such as... Figure 3 As shown. For example, the connection between the spherical portion 421 and the bottom surface 411 has recesses 423 spaced apart, and the center of the shaft portion 422 is a hollow structure 424, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0066] like Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the keycap 40 in this embodiment also includes at least one first hook 43. This embodiment uses two first hooks 43 as an example. The central shaft 42 and the first hook 43 are both connected to the bottom surface 411, and both the central shaft 42 and the first hook 43 extend from the bottom surface 411 away from the pressing part 41. One end of the first hook 43 is connected to the bottom surface 411, and the other end is a hook-shaped structure. During assembly, the base 50 can be inserted into the housing 10 through the opening 11, and the base 50 is in contact with the reset member 20. Then, the first hook 43 of the keycap 40 is aligned with the opening 11, and force is applied to insert the first hook 43 into the housing 10 through the opening 11. At this time, force needs to be applied to press the keycap 40 downward. After the force is stopped, the reset member 20 can provide the keycap 40 and the base 50 with the elastic force to return to their original position, thereby causing the first hook 43 to engage with the housing 10. Specifically, the first hook 43 hooks onto the inner edge of the opening 11 and then engages with the housing 10.

[0067] Please refer to this first. Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the base 50 includes at least one guide post 51 and a shaft hole 52. The base 50 can be guided into the housing 10 by the guide post 51, and the base 50 can be guided to move within the housing 10. Specifically, the guide post 51 is aligned with the inner wall 111 of the opening 11, and the guide post 51 is made to contact the inner wall 111 to guide the base 50 into the housing 10. In this embodiment, the opening 11 of the housing 10 is quadrilateral. Correspondingly, the base 50 may have four guide posts 51. The guide post 51 may correspond to one of the included angles 112 of the opening 11 (e.g., ...). Figure 2 As shown), the guide post 51 can guide the base 50 to move into the housing 10 along the included angle 112.

[0068] like Figure 4As shown, preferably, the guide post 51 has an arc-shaped side surface 511, which makes line contact with the inner wall 111 of the opening 11. In other words, the area in contact between the arc-shaped side surface 511 and the inner wall 111 is linear, minimizing the contact area between the arc-shaped side surface 511 and the inner wall 111. This structure prevents excessive friction from the inner wall 111 on the guide post 51 when the keycap 40 is pressed down. In other words, the line contact design between the arc-shaped side surface 511 and the inner wall 111 achieves a labor-saving effect.

[0069] Furthermore, the shaft hole 52 is located in the central region of the base 50 to accommodate the central shaft 42 of the keycap 40. The shaft hole 52 has an arc-shaped groove 521 to accommodate the spherical portion 421 of the central shaft 42. The spherical portion 421 and the arc-shaped groove 521 are structurally compatible. Specifically, in this embodiment, the spherical portion 421 is a hemisphere, and the arc-shaped groove 521 is a corresponding hemisphere-shaped groove. When the shaft portion 422 of the central shaft 42 passes through the shaft hole 52, the spherical surface of the spherical portion 421 can be accommodated in the arc-shaped groove 521. If the pressing portion 41 is pressed and tilted, the spherical portion 4211 can be displaced within the arc-shaped groove 521 to form a structure similar to a universal joint.

[0070] Specifically, during assembly, first place the base 50 into the housing 10, then align the central shaft 42 of the keycap 40 with the shaft hole 52, and allow the central shaft 42 to pass through the shaft hole 52. For example... Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the shaft portion 422 of the central shaft 42 passes through the shaft hole 52 and contacts the reset member 20, while the spherical portion 421 is accommodated in the arc groove 521.

[0071] Additionally, please refer to the pairing options. Figure 5 As shown, the top surface 512 of the guide post 51 does not contact the bottom surface 411 of the pressing part 41. Specifically, in this embodiment, the top surface 512 of the guide post 51 is an outward-facing slope extending towards the housing 10. In other words, the top surface 512 is an outward-facing slope extending downward towards the base 50. Therefore, when the central shaft 42 of the keycap 40 is inserted into the shaft hole 52, the central shaft 42 and its spherical part 421 are supported by the arcuate groove 521, and the guide post 51 does not contact the pressing part 41.

[0072] When the pressing part 41 is pressed, especially when its edge or corner is pressed, the pressing part 41 shifts and tilts as a whole, causing the central axis 42 to shift as well. The structure of the spherical part 421 and the arcuate groove 521 engaging allows the spherical part 421 to move within the arcuate groove 521 (forming a structure similar to a universal joint), increasing the movement space of the keycap 40. Furthermore, the structure where the guide post 51 does not contact the pressing part 41 ensures that the pressing part 41 has room to shift or tilt and is not restricted by the guide post 51. Therefore, the keycap assembly 30, with its two-piece structure (i.e., keycap 40 and base 50), the engaging spherical part 421 and arcuate groove 521, and the non-contact structure between the guide post 51 and the pressing part 41, increases the movement space of the keycap 40, thereby preventing key jamming.

[0073] Figure 7 for Figure 5 The button structure shown is a schematic diagram illustrating the resistance point; please refer to it. Figure 7 As shown. When the edge or corner of the pressing part 41 is pressed, the point of force application is located at the pressing point, while the fulcrum is located at the center of the central axis 42. The force arm D1 is the distance from the point of force application to the fulcrum. When the edge or corner of the pressing part 41 is pressed, the spherical part 421 and the arcuate groove 521 will come into contact with each other, so that the contact point between the spherical part 421 and the arcuate groove 521 forms a resistance point R. The resistance arm D2 is the distance from the resistance point R to the fulcrum.

[0074] In the existing key structure, the keycap assembly 30 (keycap 40 and base 50) is a single component. In other words, the existing keycap has a guide post. Therefore, when pressing the edge or corner of the existing keycap, the point of resistance is the contact point between the guide post and the opening of the housing. For the existing single-component keycap, the resistance arm D3 is the distance from the point of resistance (the contact point between the guide post and the opening) to the fulcrum (the center of the central axis). It should be noted that, for ease of explanation, the resistance arm D3 generated by pressing the existing keycap is marked as... Figure 7 This section describes existing keycaps, so the components are not labeled.

[0075] like Figure 7 As shown, the resistance arm D2 generated by pressing the keycap assembly 30 of this embodiment is smaller than the resistance arm D3 generated by pressing a conventional keycap, and the smaller resistance arm D2 can achieve the effect of saving effort. Therefore, the keycap assembly 30 of this embodiment can achieve a more effort-saving effect compared to conventional single-component keycaps.

[0076] In addition to achieving a labor-saving effect, the keycaps 40 and the base 50 in this embodiment can also be made of different materials to increase the appearance variation of the key structure 1 at a low cost. For example, the base 50 can be made of plastic, such as polyoxymethylene (POM) material with low coefficient of friction and good rigidity. The keycaps 40 can be made of plastic, ceramic, wood, or other materials depending on the desired appearance.

[0077] Please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, preferably, the shaft portion 422 and the shaft hole 52 of the central shaft 42 in this embodiment are both non-circular structures. The non-circular structure prevents the shaft portion 422 from rotating within the shaft hole 52, thus avoiding overall wobbling of the keycap 40. Specifically, the shaft portion 422 has a first plane 4221 on both sides, and the shaft hole 52 of the base 50 has a corresponding second plane 522. When the keycap 40 is assembled to the base 50, the first plane 4221 corresponds to the second plane 522, thereby restricting the rotation of the shaft portion 422 within the shaft hole 52.

[0078] It should also be noted that the assembly sequence of the key structure 1 in this embodiment is as follows: first, the base 50 is placed into the housing 10, and then the keycap 40 is assembled to the base 50, that is, the central shaft 42 of the keycap 40 is assembled to the shaft hole 52 of the base 50. As mentioned above, after the keycap 40 is assembled to the housing 10, the first hook 43 can engage with the housing 10. At this time, the keycap 40 can restrict the base 50 located below, preventing the base 50 from falling out of the opening 11, and at the same time fixing the base 50 inside the housing 10.

[0079] like Figure 4 and Figure 6 As shown, to facilitate automated assembly, the base 50 in this embodiment may preferably include at least one second latch 53. Specifically, when the base 50 is inserted into the housing 10, the second latch 53, along with the base 50, is inserted into the housing 10 through the opening 11. Since the base 50 contacts the reset member 20, the reset member 20 provides a spring force to return the base 50 to its original position, thereby allowing the second latch 53 to engage with the housing 10. Figure 6 As shown. At this time, even if the keycaps 40 have not yet been assembled, the base 50 can still be fixed inside the housing 10 by the second hook 53 to prevent the base 50 from falling out of the opening 11. Therefore, after the base 50 is placed into the housing 10, the body 101 of the keyboard 100 can be moved (as shown). Figure 2 (As shown) to the work area of ​​assembling keycaps 40, and there is no need to worry about the base 50 falling off when moving.

[0080] In summary, according to the key structure and keycap assembly of the present invention, the keycap assembly includes a keycap and a base. The keycap's central shaft has a spherical portion, while the base's shaft hole has a corresponding arcuate groove. When the central shaft passes through the shaft hole, the spherical portion is accommodated in the arcuate groove. The interlocking structure of the spherical portion and the arcuate groove allows the spherical portion to move within the arcuate groove, thereby increasing the keycap's movement space. In short, the keycap assembly is a two-piece structure (i.e., keycap and base), with a mating spherical portion and arcuate groove, which increases the keycap's movement space, thereby preventing key jamming.

[0081] In addition, the base has guide posts. By designing that the guide posts do not contact the pressing part of the keycaps, it can be ensured that the pressing part has room to shift or tilt and will not be restricted by the guide posts, so as to achieve the aforementioned effect of avoiding key jamming.

[0082] It should be noted that the above embodiments are examples for ease of illustration, and the scope of the claims of this invention should be determined by the scope defined in the claims of this invention, and not limited to the above embodiments.

Claims

1. A key structure, comprising: a housing having an opening; a reset member disposed in the housing; and a keycap assembly comprising: a keycap including a pressing portion having a bottom surface and a center shaft connected to the bottom surface, the center shaft having a spherical portion proximate to the bottom surface; and a base inserted into the housing from the opening and in contact with the reset member, the base including a shaft hole having an arcuate slot, the center shaft passing through the shaft hole to contact the reset member, the spherical portion being received in the arcuate slot, wherein the spherical portion is displaced in the arcuate slot when the pressing portion is pressed.

2. The key structure of claim 1, wherein a contact point of the spherical portion with the arcuate slot forms a resistance point when an edge of the pressing portion is pressed.

3. The key structure of claim 1, wherein the center shaft further has a shaft portion extending from the spherical portion away from the bottom surface.

4. The key structure of claim 3, wherein the shaft portion and the shaft hole are non-circular structures, respectively.

5. The key structure of claim 4, wherein the shaft portion has a first plane corresponding to a second plane of the shaft hole to limit rotation of the shaft portion in the shaft hole.

6. The key structure of claim 1, wherein the base further includes a guide post in contact with an inner wall of the opening, and a top surface of the guide post is not in contact with the pressing portion.

7. The key structure of claim 6, wherein the guide post corresponds to one of the angles of the opening, and the base is guided to be inserted into the housing by the guide post.

8. The key structure of claim 7, wherein the guide post has an arcuate side surface in line contact with the inner wall of the opening.

9. The key structure of claim 6, wherein the top surface of the guide post is a slope extending outwardly and toward the housing.

10. The key structure of claim 1, wherein the keycap includes at least one first hook connected to the bottom surface, the first hook being inserted into the housing from the opening and engaged to the housing.

11. The key structure of claim 1, wherein the base further includes at least one second hook, the second hook being inserted into the housing from the opening and engaged to the housing.

12. A keycap assembly for a key structure having a housing with an opening and a reset member disposed in the housing, the keycap assembly comprising: a keycap including: a pressing portion having a bottom surface; and a center shaft connected to the bottom surface, the center shaft having a spherical portion proximate to the bottom surface; and a base inserted into the housing from the opening and in contact with the reset member, the base including: a shaft hole having an arcuate slot, the center shaft passing through the shaft hole to contact the reset member, the spherical portion being received in the arcuate slot, wherein the spherical portion is displaced in the arcuate slot when the pressing portion is pressed.

13. The keycap assembly of claim 12, wherein a contact point of the spherical portion with the arcuate slot forms a resistance point when an edge of the pressing portion is pressed. ​ ​ 14. The keycap assembly of claim 12, wherein the central shaft further has a shaft portion extending from the ball portion in a direction away from the bottom surface.

15. The keycap assembly of claim 14, wherein the shaft portion and the shaft hole are non-circular in shape.

16. The keycap assembly of claim 15, wherein the shaft portion has a first plane and the shaft hole of the base has a second plane, the first plane corresponding to the second plane to limit rotation of the shaft portion within the shaft hole.

17. The keycap assembly of claim 12, wherein the base further includes a guide post in contact with an inner wall of the opening, and a top surface of the guide post is not in contact with the press portion.

18. The keycap assembly of claim 17, wherein the guide post corresponds to one of the included angles of the opening, and the base is guided into the housing by the guide post.

19. The keycap assembly of claim 18, wherein the guide post has an arc-shaped side surface in line contact with the inner wall of the opening.

20. The keycap assembly of claim 17, wherein the top surface of the guide post is a ramp surface extending outwardly and in a direction toward the housing.

21. The keycap assembly of claim 12, wherein the keycap includes at least a first hook connected to the bottom surface, the first hook being inserted into the housing from the opening and engaged to the housing.

22. The keycap assembly of claim 12, wherein the base further includes at least a second hook, the second hook being inserted into the housing from the opening and engaged to the housing.

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