key

Abstract

The present application provides a key, which comprises a protective cover and a key cap. The key cap has a flow guiding shoulder surface. When the protective cover and the key cap are bonded to each other by using adhesive, the excess adhesive can be retained on the flow guiding shoulder surface, so as to avoid the excess adhesive from spreading to other areas.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a key; in particular, the present invention relates to a key of a computer keyboard. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the structure of a computer keyboard, in order to prevent dust or liquid from entering the gap of the key or flowing into the lower aperture, a soft and elastic protective cover is usually used to cover the top of the keycap, which can block dust and foreign matter, and through the elasticity and flexibility of the protective cover, the user can smoothly press down the keycap to trigger the signal. Furthermore, in order to position the protective cover on the keycap, a part of the protective cover must be pasted on the top surface of the keycap. Usually, adhesive is applied between the protective cover and the keycap to fix the protective cover and the keycap, so that the part of the protective cover with the applied adhesive is positioned on the key, and the area of the protective cover without the applied adhesive can be freely stretched, so that the keycap can move up and down without being hindered when pressed.

[0003] However, when applying the adhesive, whether by machine or manually, the problem of uneven application of the adhesive will occur, resulting in excessive adhesive overflowing from the gap between the protective cover and the keycap. At this time, the overflowing adhesive will flow to other areas of the keycap surface, causing the adhesive to adhere to the areas that do not need to be coated with adhesive, so that the area of the protective cover that can be freely stretched is also adhered to the adhesive and attached to the keycap, causing the keycap to be pulled by the protective cover when moving up and down. SUMMARY

[0004] In order to solve the problems of the prior art, the present invention provides a key. The keycap of the key has a flow guide shoulder surface. When the adhesive overflows from the gap between the protective cover and the keycap, the adhesive can be retained on the flow guide shoulder surface and will not spread to other areas of the keycap, so that the adhesive will not adhere to the area of the protective cover that can be freely stretched, thereby maintaining the pressing feeling and effect of the key.

[0005] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention provides a key, comprising:

[0006] a bottom plate;

[0007] an elastic element arranged on the bottom plate;

[0008] a support element arranged on the bottom plate and surrounding the elastic element;

[0009] a keycap arranged above the support element and connected to the support element, the support element driving the keycap to move closer to or away from the bottom plate, the keycap having a top surface and a flow guide shoulder surface; and

[0010] a protective cover covering the top surface of the keycap, adhesive being applied between the protective cover and the top surface to adhere and combine the protective cover and the top surface with each other, and when the adhesive overflows the top surface, the adhesive can be retained on the flow guide shoulder surface.

[0011] Preferably, the flow guide shoulder is disposed on the periphery of the key cap and surrounds the top surface.

[0012] Preferably, the flow guide shoulder has an angle greater than the top surface.

[0013] Preferably, the key cap has an outer sidewall surface, and the flow guide shoulder is located between the outer sidewall surface and the top surface.

[0014] Preferably, the adhesive is retained on the flow guide shoulder when the adhesive overflows the top surface, and the adhesive does not adhere to the outer sidewall surface.

[0015] Preferably, the protective cover has a contact surface and a stretch surface, the stretch surface is disposed on the periphery of the contact surface, and the contact surface is attached to the top surface of the key cap.

[0016] Preferably, the contact surface corresponds to the top surface and the flow guide shoulder of the key cap, and the adhesive only adheres to the contact surface.

[0017] Preferably, the stretch surface does not contact the top surface and the flow guide shoulder of the key cap.

[0018] The key of the present application can limit the overflowed adhesive to the position of the flow guide shoulder, so that the adhesive does not spread everywhere and adhere to the key cap, thereby avoiding damaging the key structure due to improper attachment or affecting the pressing stroke feeling. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 It is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the present application.

[0020] Figure 2 It is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the present application.

[0021] Figure 3 It is a schematic view of the key pressing state of the preferred embodiment of the present application.

[0022] The reference signs are explained as follows:

[0023] 1: key

[0024] 10: bottom plate

[0025] 11: switch circuit layer

[0026] 20: elastic element

[0027] 30: support element

[0028] 40: key cap

[0029] 41: top surface

[0030] 42: flow guide shoulder

[0031] 43: outer lateral wall surface

[0032] 50: protective cover

[0033] 51: fitting surface

[0034] 52: stretching surface

[0035] 60: adhesive

[0036] 61: overflowed adhesive

[0037] A: top surface angle

[0038] B: flow guide shoulder surface angle

[0039] U: user DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] The preferred embodiment of the present application is further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0041] The key 1 of the present application comprises a base plate 10, a switch circuit layer 11, a resilient element 20, a support element 30, a key cap 40, and a protective cover 50. The switch circuit layer 11 is disposed on the base plate 10 to generate a key signal. The resilient element 20 is disposed on the base plate 10 and above the switch circuit layer 11 to trigger the switch circuit layer 11. The support element 30 is disposed on the base plate 10 and surrounds the resilient element 20. The key cap 40 is disposed above the support element 30 and connected to the support element 30. The support element 30 can drive the key cap 40 to approach or move away from the base plate 10. When the key cap 40 is pressed, it moves toward the base plate 10 and presses the resilient element 20, so that the resilient element 20 contacts the switch circuit layer 11 to generate a key signal. The protective cover 50 covers the key cap 40 to prevent dust, foreign matter, or moisture from entering the area below the key cap. The protective cover 50 and the key cap 40 are bonded to each other by an adhesive 60, so that the protective cover 50 is positioned on the key cap 40. The structure of the key cap 40 can limit the overflow range of the adhesive 60 to prevent the adhesive 60 from contaminating other elements.

[0042] The structure of the key cap 40 and the protective cover 50 is described below in detail. The key cap 40 has a top surface 41, a flow guide shoulder surface 42, and an outer lateral wall surface 43. The top surface 41 is located at the top of the key cap 40. The outer lateral wall surface 43 is the peripheral wall of the key cap 40. The flow guide shoulder surface 42 is disposed around the top edge of the key cap 40 and surrounds the top surface 41. The flow guide shoulder surface 42 is located between the top surface 41 and the outer lateral wall surface 43. The protective cover 50 has a fitting surface 51 and a stretching surface 52. The stretching surface 52 is disposed around the fitting surface 51. The fitting surface 52 is bonded to the top surface 41 of the key cap 40.

[0043] Referring to Figure 2The protective cover 50 covers the key cap 40, and the bonding surface 51 of the protective cover 50 corresponds to the top surface 41 of the key cap 40. The bonding surface 51 and the top surface 41 are coated with the adhesive 60, so that the protective cover 50 and the top surface 41 are bonded to each other. When the amount of the adhesive 60 between the bonding surface 51 of the protective cover 50 and the top surface 41 of the key cap 40 is too much, the adhesive 61 overflowing from the gap between the bonding surface 51 and the top surface 41 will flow along the outer periphery of the top surface 41 to the flow guide shoulder surface 42. The flow guide shoulder surface 42 provides a buffer inclined surface to retain the adhesive 61 overflowing, so that the adhesive 61 overflowing is prevented from continuously spreading outward, and the adhesive 61 overflowing is prevented from adhering to the outer side surface 43 of the key cap 40.

[0044] Further, the inclined angle B of the flow guide shoulder surface 42 is greater than the angle A of the top surface 41, and the angle A of the top surface 41 is a plane of 180 degrees, and the inclined angle B of the flow guide shoulder surface 42 is between 183 degrees and 195 degrees. Since the adhesive 60 has the characteristics of coagulation and rigidity after drying, the adhesive 61 overflowing will gradually coagulate and slow down on the flow guide shoulder surface 42, and then solidify and remain on the flow guide shoulder surface 42.

[0045] Further, the inclined angle B of the flow guide shoulder surface 42 is greater than the angle A of the top surface 41, and the angle A of the top surface 41 is a plane of 180 degrees, and the inclined angle B of the flow guide shoulder surface 42 is between 183 degrees and 195 degrees. Since the adhesive 60 has the characteristics of coagulation and rigidity after drying, the adhesive 61 overflowing will gradually coagulate and slow down on the flow guide shoulder surface 42, and then solidify and remain on the flow guide shoulder surface 42. Figure 3 The key pressing state diagram of the preferred embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG. 6. The area of the bonding surface 51 of the protective cover 50 is greater than the area of the top surface 41 of the key cap 40. The bonding surface 51 covers the top surface 41 and the flow guide shoulder surface 42, so that the adhesive 60 only adheres to the bonding surface 51. The stretching surface 52 of the protective cover 50 does not contact the top surface 41 and the flow guide shoulder surface 42, and thus does not adhere to the adhesive 60.

[0046] When the user U presses the protective cover 50 and the key cap 40, the key cap 40 moves towards the bottom plate 10. At this time, the top surface 41 of the key cap 40 drives the bonding surface 51 of the protective cover 50 to move towards the bottom plate 10. Since the stretching surface 52 of the protective cover 50 does not adhere to the adhesive 60, the stretching surface 52 is in an elastic stretching state. Therefore, the stretching surface 52 elastically bends and extends, so that the key cap 40 can stably descend to the bottom plate 10 and trigger the switch circuit layer 11.

[0047] The protective cover 50 is a soft rubber sheet with good elastic stretching force. The flow guide shoulder surface 42 of the key cap 40 can be formed on the periphery of the top surface 41 of the key cap 40 by cutting or one-piece forming.

[0048] The key of the present application can retain excess adhesive on the surface of the key cap and limit the spreading of the adhesive to other areas, so as to prevent the adhesive from adhering to other areas or elements and maintain the structure and pressing function of the key.

[0049] The above merely describes the preferred embodiments of the present application, and is not intended to limit the scope of the claims of the present application. Any equivalent changes or modifications made without departing from the spirit of the present application shall be included in the scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A key, characterized in that Comprising: a bottom plate; a resilient element disposed on the bottom plate; a support element disposed on the bottom plate and surrounding the resilient element; a keycap disposed above the support element and connected to the support element, the support element driving the keycap to move close to or away from the bottom plate, the keycap having a top surface and a diversion shoulder surface; and a protective cover covering the top surface of the keycap, a glue being coated between the protective cover and the top surface to make the protective cover and the top surface adhere to each other, the glue being left on the diversion shoulder surface when the glue overflows the top surface; wherein the protective cover has a fitting surface and a stretch surface, the stretch surface being disposed at the periphery of the fitting surface, the fitting surface being adhered to the top surface of the keycap, the top surface of the keycap driving the fitting surface of the protective cover to move together toward the bottom plate, and the stretch surface of the protective cover being in an elastically stretchable state since it is not contaminated by the glue.

2. The key of claim 1, wherein, The diversion shoulder surface is disposed at the periphery of the keycap and surrounds the top surface.

3. The key of claim 1, wherein, The inclination angle of the diversion shoulder surface is greater than the angle of the top surface, the angle of the top surface being a 180-degree plane, and the inclination angle of the diversion shoulder surface being between 183 degrees and 195 degrees.

4. The key of claim 1, wherein, The keycap has an outer side wall surface, and the diversion shoulder surface is located between the outer side wall surface and the top surface.

5. The key of claim 4, wherein, The glue is left on the diversion shoulder surface when the glue overflows the top surface, and the glue does not contaminate the outer side wall surface.

6. The key of claim 1, wherein, The fitting surface corresponds to the top surface and the diversion shoulder surface of the keycap, and the glue only contaminates the fitting surface.

7. The key of claim 1, wherein, The stretch surface does not contact the top surface and the diversion shoulder surface of the keycap.

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