Keyboard device with display panel

Abstract

The present invention provides a keyboard device with a display panel, comprising a substrate, a scissor leg assembly, an elastic member, a display panel and a plurality of light-transmitting keycaps. The scissor leg assembly is movably arranged on the substrate. The elastic member is arranged on the substrate. The display panel rests on the scissor leg assembly and the elastic member. The display panel has a plurality of hollow portions, a plurality of elastic portions and a plurality of display surfaces. Each display surface is surrounded by a plurality of hollow portions, and each display surface is suspended between the plurality of hollow portions through a plurality of elastic portions. The light-transmitting keycaps are arranged on the display panel and cover the display surfaces respectively and correspondingly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a keyboard device, and in particular to a keyboard device with a display panel. Background Art

[0002] In the prior art, a keyboard has multiple keys, and each key cap is printed with at least one word or pattern to give the key a specific input function and allow the user to identify its input function. However, the words or patterns on each key cap are set when the product leaves the factory, and users cannot define them by themselves. Although some keyboards have additional macro keys that allow users to switch the input commands corresponding to the key bodies, the images on them cannot be changed accordingly, so users cannot know at a glance the input commands corresponding to each key body at the moment.

[0003] Furthermore, although the existing luminous keyboard can emit light when in use or when the user has a need, similar to the above, its luminous effect is also set when the product leaves the factory and cannot be adjusted according to the needs of the user.

[0004] Therefore, how to improve the visual limitations of the keyboard or buttons regarding the text or patterns and enable the keyboard or buttons to be freely defined by the user according to the needs has become a problem that the technicians in this field need to think about and solve. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present invention is directed to a keyboard device with a display panel, which can provide definable recognition text or patterns and provide users with a stable pressing feel.

[0006] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a keyboard device with a display panel includes a substrate, a scissor foot assembly, an elastic member, a display panel, and a plurality of light-transmitting keycaps. The scissor foot assembly is movably disposed on the substrate. The elastic member is disposed on the substrate. The display panel rests on the scissor foot assembly and the elastic member. The display panel has a plurality of hollow portions, a plurality of elastic portions, and a plurality of display surfaces. Each display surface is surrounded by a plurality of hollow portions, and each display surface is suspended between the plurality of hollow portions through a plurality of elastic portions. The light-transmitting keycaps are disposed on the display panel and cover the display surfaces respectively and correspondingly.

[0007] Based on the above, the keyboard device with a display panel of the present invention is provided with a display panel having multiple display surfaces, and the display panel is formed with multiple hollow parts, multiple elastic parts and multiple display surfaces on its structure, wherein each display surface is surrounded by multiple hollow parts, and each display surface is suspended between multiple hollow parts through multiple elastic parts, and multiple light-transmitting keycaps are respectively arranged on the display panel to cover the corresponding display surfaces. In this way, the image generated by the display panel is transmitted upward and projected out of the keyboard through the light-transmitting keycaps, thereby providing the user with the text or pattern required and easily recognizable. Since the display panel is clamped between the light-transmitting keycaps, the scissor leg components, and the elastic components, the image generated by it can be projected out of the keyboard device through the light-transmitting keycaps without obstacles.

[0008] At the same time, as the above-mentioned display surfaces are suspended between multiple hollow parts through multiple elastic parts, when the translucent keycap of the keyboard device is pressed, the elastic part will also be driven to produce elastic deformation. That is, in addition to the elastic part, the elastic part of the display panel can also provide functions other than display, and the elastic part is combined with the display panel and the translucent keycap thereon to provide the required support and reset effect, thereby enhancing the user's feel when pressing the keyboard device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a keyboard device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0010] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 An exploded view of some components of a keyboard device;

[0011] Figure 3 Shown from another perspective Figure 2 Display panel;

[0012] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 A partial cross-sectional view of a keyboard device;

[0013] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a display panel according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Whenever possible, the same reference numerals are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.

[0015] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a keyboard device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Exploded diagram of some components of a keyboard device, only a partial set of keys is shown here as an example. Please also refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2In this embodiment, the keyboard device 100 with a display panel is adapted for example to a laptop computer, but is not limited thereto. The keyboard device 100 includes a base 140, a scissor foot assembly 130, an elastic member 150, a display panel 110, and a plurality of light-transmitting (transparent) keycaps 120. The scissor foot assembly 130 is movably disposed on the base 140. The elastic member 150 is disposed on the base 140. The display panel 110 rests on the scissor foot assembly 130 and the elastic member 150. The display panel 110 has a plurality of hollow portions 114, a plurality of elastic portions 112a, and a plurality of display surfaces 111. Each display surface 111 is surrounded by a plurality of hollow portions 114, and each display surface 111 is suspended between the plurality of hollow portions 114 by means of a plurality of elastic portions 112a. The light-transmitting keycaps 120 are disposed on the display panel 110 and cover the display surfaces 111 respectively and correspondingly.

[0016] Furthermore, the base 140 of the present embodiment includes a bottom plate 142 and a thin film circuit 141, which are interlaced with each other in structure, so that the scissor leg assembly 130 on the base 140 is movably connected to the bottom plate 142, and the elastic member 150 is disposed on the thin film circuit 141 to correspond to the trigger portion 141a (marked at Figure 4 , which will be described in detail later). Here, the elastic member 150 is, for example, a rubber dome or other elastic domes (such as metal domes) or elastic components suitable for generating elastic deformation during the pressing stroke, so as to facilitate supporting and resetting the display panel 110 and the light-transmitting keycap 120 thereon. The scissor foot assembly 130 includes a pair of brackets 131 respectively pivotally disposed on the bottom plate 142 of the base 140 and pivotally connected to each other, and a top plate 132 pivotally connected to and supported by the pair of brackets 131. A portion of the display panel 110 having a display surface 111 is located between the top plate 132 and the light-transmitting keycap 120.

[0017] Figure 3 Shown from another perspective Figure 2 For example, the bottom of the display panel 110 is shown from a sideways upward perspective. Figure 2 and Figure 3In this embodiment, the display panel 110 has a base 112 and a plurality of plateau portions 113 that are raised relative to the base 112, wherein the plateau portions 113 are arranged in an array around the base 112, each plateau portion 113 has a display surface 111, and each plateau portion 113 is connected to another plateau portion 113 or the base 112 through a plurality of elastic portions 112a. Here, the display panel 110 is, for example, an electronic paper (E-paper) or a display module with electronic ink (E-ink), and uses a polymer composite material with flexibility, elasticity and ductility as the main external structure, such as PET (polyethyleneterephthalate), so as to be used as a basic structure for carrying and encapsulating electronic ink or related display layer materials, and in this embodiment, its material properties can be used to facilitate the pressing process. For example, due to the above-mentioned material properties, the display panel 110 of this embodiment can be formed into a plateau portion 113 whose contour conforms to the inner contour of the light-transmitting keycap 120, so that the display surface 111 can contact the inner top surface of the light-transmitting keycap 120. This means that the image generated by the display surface 111 can be projected out of the keyboard device 100 through the transparent keycap 120 without any hindrance.

[0018] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 A partial cross-sectional view of the keyboard assembly. Please also refer to Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 In this embodiment, the corresponding relationship between the base 140, the scissor leg assembly 130 and the elastic member 150 can be clearly seen from Figure 4 It is known that among them Figure 2 As shown, the top plate 132 of the scissor foot assembly 130 has an opening to expose the elastic member 150 and allow the elastic member 150 to abut against the back of the display panel 110 through the opening. When the light-transmitting keycap 120 is pressed, the bracket 131 is driven at the same time to cause the elastic member 150 to produce elastic deformation, wherein the elastic member 150 presses the triggering portion 141a with its conductive portion (not shown) to produce electrical conduction, thereby causing the film circuit 141 to generate a command signal corresponding to the pressed light-transmitting keycap 120. Once the light-transmitting keycap 120 is no longer pressed, the elastic member 150 can use its elastic force to drive the light-transmitting keycap 120 to reset, and move its conductive portion away from the triggering portion 141a to return to the original position. Figure 4 It should be noted that in order to improve the contrast and facilitate identification, Figure 4 Only the cut-away keyboard device 100 shows the light-transmitting keycap 120 , while the light-transmitting feature of another adjacent light-transmitting keycap 120 (not cut-away) is not shown.

[0019] Furthermore, the display panel 110 also has a plurality of connecting wires 115, which are substantially disposed on the base 112 and the elastic portion 112a and extend to the display surface 111 located on the plateau portion 113, and are electrically connected between the display surfaces 111 through the elastic portion 112a. In other words, the portion of the display panel 110 without the display surface 111 can be used as a structure for the connecting wires 115 to carry and pass through.

[0020] In addition, please also refer to Figure 2 and Figure 4 In this embodiment, when the light-transmitting keycap 120 is assembled to the display panel 110 to cover the display surface 111, the multiple turning corners 121 of the light-transmitting keycap 120 are respectively supported on the multiple elastic parts 112a, and the parts of the multiple bottom side edges 122 of the light-transmitting keycap 120 are respectively located on the multiple hollow parts 114. Therefore, due to the relationship of the hollow parts 114, the light-transmitting keycap 120 will only press on the elastic parts 112a corresponding to the turning corners 121. Figure 2 or Figure 3 As shown, the four bottom side edges 122 of each light-transmitting keycap 120 correspond to the four hollow portions 114, and the four turning corners 121 correspond to the four elastic portions 112a. When the light-transmitting keycap 120 is pressed, for the display panel 110, it is equivalent to the display surface 111 being stretched and elastically deformed by the four elastic portions 112a and producing a height change relative to the base portion 112. When the force applied to press the light-transmitting keycap 120 is removed, the display surface 111 is restored to its original position by the elastic force of the elastic portions 112a. Figure 2 From the state shown, it can be known that, in addition to the elastic member 150, the display panel 110 can also provide the same effect with its elastic portion 112a. Therefore, the designer can adjust the elastic coefficients of the two according to the needs to provide the user with a better pressing feel.

[0021] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a display panel according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 And compare Figure 2 , the display panel 210 is the same as the previous embodiment in that it also has a plurality of hollow portions 214, a plurality of elastic portions 212a and a plurality of display surfaces 211, but the difference is that the base 212 of this embodiment is coplanar with the display surface 211 and the elastic portion 212a, that is, the display panel 210 is a single-piece structure without generating height differences, which is equivalent to the display panel 210 of this embodiment only needing to be punched to form a plurality of hollow portions 214 and a plurality of elastic portions 212a, and similarly to the previous embodiment, the connecting wires 215 can still be distributed on the base 212 and the elastic portion 212a to electrically connect these display surfaces 211, and the right protruding portion can also be used to connect with other electronic components. For example, in Figure 1 The laptop computer shown in the figure has a keyboard device which can be composed of Figure 5The right protruding portion is electrically connected to the mainboard via a connecting wire 215, thereby controlling the image to be displayed on the keyboard device. The user can redefine the image to be generated by the display surface 211 according to the use environment and needs.

[0022] In summary, in the above-mentioned embodiment of the present invention, the keyboard device with a display panel is provided with a display panel having multiple display surfaces, and the display panel is formed with multiple hollow parts, multiple elastic parts and multiple display surfaces on its structure, wherein each display surface is surrounded by multiple hollow parts, and each display surface is suspended between multiple hollow parts through multiple elastic parts, and multiple light-transmitting keycaps are respectively provided on the display panel to cover the corresponding display surfaces. In this way, the image generated by the display panel is transmitted upward and projected out of the keyboard through the light-transmitting keycaps, thereby providing the user with the text or pattern required and easily recognizable. Since the display panel is clamped between the light-transmitting keycaps, the scissor leg assembly, and the elastic assembly, the image generated by it can be projected out of the keyboard device through the light-transmitting keycaps without obstacles.

[0023] At the same time, as the above-mentioned display surfaces are suspended between multiple hollow parts through multiple elastic parts, when the translucent keycap of the keyboard device is pressed, the elastic part will also be driven to produce elastic deformation. That is, in addition to the elastic part, the elastic part of the display panel can also provide functions other than display, and the elastic part is combined with the display panel and the translucent keycap thereon to provide the required support and reset effect, thereby enhancing the user's feel when pressing the keyboard device.

[0024] In different embodiments, the display panel can be punched to form a hollow portion and an elastic portion due to the characteristics of its main structural material, or it can be punched to form a plateau portion that is raised relative to the base in addition to the hollow portion and the elastic portion, and the outer contour of the plateau portion can be made to conform to the inner bottom contour of the translucent keycap, which is equivalent to making the display surface contact with the inner top surface of the translucent keycap, so that the image on the display surface can be directly projected from the translucent keycap.

[0025] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or replace some or all of the technical features therein with equivalents. However, these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A keyboard device with a display panel, characterized in that: include: substrate; A scissor leg assembly is movably disposed on the base; an elastic member, disposed on the base; A display panel is supported on the scissor leg assembly and the elastic member, the display panel has a plurality of hollow parts, a plurality of elastic parts and a plurality of display surfaces, each of the display surfaces is surrounded by the plurality of hollow parts, and each of the display surfaces is suspended between the plurality of hollow parts through the plurality of elastic parts; and A plurality of light-transmitting keycaps are disposed on the display panel and respectively cover the plurality of display surfaces.

2. The keyboard device with a display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The display panel has a base and a plurality of plateau portions raised relative to the base, the base surrounds the plurality of plateau portions, each of the plateau portions has the display surface, and each of the plateau portions is connected to another plateau portion or the base through a plurality of the elastic portions.

3. The keyboard device with a display panel according to claim 2, characterized in that: The display panel has plasticity to form the plurality of plateau portions whose contours conform to the inner contours of the plurality of light-transmitting keycaps.

4. The keyboard device with a display panel according to claim 2, characterized in that: The display surface contacts the inner top surface of the light-transmitting keycap.

5. The keyboard device with a display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The plurality of elastic portions are coplanar with the plurality of display surfaces.

6. The keyboard device with a display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The display panel has a plurality of connecting wires which are electrically connected between the plurality of display surfaces through the plurality of elastic parts.

7. The keyboard device with a display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The multiple turning corners of each of the light-transmitting keycaps are respectively supported on the multiple elastic parts.

8. The keyboard device with a display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: Parts of the bottom side edges of each of the light-transmitting keycaps are respectively located on the plurality of hollow portions.

9. The keyboard device with a display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The display panel is electronic paper or a display module with electronic ink.

10. The keyboard device with a display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The scissor foot assembly includes a pair of brackets respectively pivoted on the base and pivotally connected to each other, and a top plate pivotally connected to and supported by the pair of brackets. The display panel has a portion of the display surface located between the top plate and the light-transmitting keycap.

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