Keyboard device, electronic device, and method for manufacturing keyboard device

Abstract

The present application provides a keyboard device capable of inhibiting occurrence of light leakage, an electronic device, and a manufacturing method of the keyboard device. The keyboard device includes a base plate made of metal; a film laminated on an upper surface of the base plate; a plurality of keycaps movably arranged on the upper surface of the base plate via a support mechanism; a light source module laminated on a lower surface of the base plate, and configured to irradiate light to the keycaps; a plurality of holding members formed of a light-transmissive resin material and engaged with the base plate, and configured to mount the support mechanism to the base plate; and a positioning member formed of the same material as the holding members and engaged with the base plate, and configured to position the base plate relative to a housing, wherein the film and the positioning member overlap in a vertical direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to keyboard devices, electronic devices, and methods for manufacturing keyboard devices. Background Technology

[0002] As a keyboard device for electronic devices such as notebook PCs, the applicant proposes a structure in which a holding member that serves as a base for supporting the keycaps and a positioning member relative to the electronic device housing are simultaneously formed on a metal base plate by insert molding (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 6830972

[0004] The aforementioned keyboard devices are sometimes used as structures that enable each key to emit light through LED light sources, known as backlit keyboards. Backlit keyboards generally use a light guide plate to direct light from a light source to each keycap.

[0005] However, in order to make the keyboard device of Patent Document 1 a backlit keyboard, it is necessary to form a retaining member located below each keycap using a light-transmitting material. Therefore, a positioning member, which is also formed by insert molding along with the retaining member, is also formed of a light-transmitting material. The positioning member is, for example, positioned below the frame that separates the keycaps, but a portion of it protrudes through the gap between the keycaps and the frame. Therefore, it is known that in such a structure, light guided by the light guide plate also passes through the positioning member, causing light leakage from the gap around the keycaps. When light leakage occurs, it impairs the appearance quality of the keyboard device and the electronic device equipped with it. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention was made in view of the problems of the prior art, and its object is to provide a keyboard device, an electronic device and a method for manufacturing a keyboard device that can suppress light leakage.

[0007] The keyboard device according to the first aspect of the present invention is mounted on a housing and includes: a metal base plate; a diaphragm stacked on the upper surface of the base plate; a plurality of keycaps that are vertically movable via a support mechanism on the upper surface side of the base plate; a light source module stacked on the lower surface of the base plate and irradiating light onto the keycaps; a plurality of retaining members formed of a light-transmitting resin material and joined to the base plate for mounting the support mechanism to the base plate; and a positioning member formed of the same material as the retaining members and joined to the base plate for positioning the base plate relative to the housing, wherein the diaphragm and the positioning member overlap in the vertical direction.

[0008] The second aspect of the present invention relates to an electronic device comprising: a housing; and a keyboard assembly mounted on the housing, the keyboard assembly comprising: a metal base plate; a diaphragm laminated on the upper surface of the base plate; a plurality of keycaps movable vertically via a support mechanism on the upper surface side of the base plate; a light source module laminated on the lower surface of the base plate for irradiating light onto the keycaps; a plurality of retaining members formed of a light-transmitting resin material and joined to the base plate for mounting the support mechanism to the base plate; and a positioning member formed of the same material as the retaining members and joined to the base plate for positioning the base plate relative to the housing, wherein the diaphragm and the positioning member overlap vertically.

[0009] The third aspect of the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a keyboard device mounted on a housing, comprising: a step of forming a protrusion on a metal base plate, a portion of which extends to the lower surface side; a step of placing the base plate with the protrusion on a mold and injecting a light-transmitting resin, thereby joining a positioning member for positioning the base plate relative to the housing and a plurality of retaining members for supporting keycaps mounted on the upper surface side of the base plate to the base plate by insert molding; a step of mounting a light source module for irradiating light onto the keycaps through the retaining members on the lower surface side of the base plate where the positioning member and the retaining members are joined; and a step of laminating a diaphragm on the upper surface of the base plate where the positioning member and the retaining members are joined, and overlapping the diaphragm relative to the positioning member in the vertical direction.

[0010] According to the above-described form of the present invention, light leakage can be suppressed. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Figure 1 This is a top-down view of an electronic device equipped with a keyboard device according to one embodiment.

[0012] Figure 2 It is an enlarged side sectional view schematically showing the main structural parts of the keyboard device.

[0013] Figure 3 It is a schematic three-dimensional view of the protrusion with a drawn shape and its surrounding parts.

[0014] Figure 4 It is a schematic three-dimensional view showing the protruding part of the plate and its surrounding parts.

[0015] Figure 5 This is a schematic exploded 3D view of the light source module.

[0016] Figure 6This is a schematic side sectional view used to illustrate the method of engaging the retaining component and the positioning component with the base plate.

[0017] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0018] 10…Keyboard device; 12…Electronic device; 14…Housing; 22…Key switch; 24…Base plate; 26…Holding component; 28…Positioning component; 30…Diaphragm; 32…Light source module; 34…Keycap; 36…Frame part; 37…Support mechanism; 41, 43…Protrusions; 46…Light shield; 47…Light guide plate; 48…Light source substrate; 49…Reflector; 50…Mold. Detailed Implementation

[0019] Hereinafter, with respect to the keyboard device according to the present invention, electronic devices equipped with such devices will be illustrated and preferred embodiments will be listed, while referring to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 Let me explain in detail.

[0020] Figure 1 This figure is a top-view view of an electronic device 12 equipped with a keyboard device 10 according to one embodiment. The electronic device 12 is a clamshell notebook PC. The electronic device 12 includes: a housing 14 on which the keyboard device 10 is mounted; and a display housing 18 on which a display 16 is mounted. The housings 14 and 18 are connected by a hinge 20 so that they can be opened and closed. The present invention can also be applied to electronic devices other than notebook PCs. For example, the present invention can also be applied to external keyboard devices used in desktop PCs, keyboard devices that are detachable extension devices for tablet PCs, etc.

[0021] The following refers to the keyboard device 10, such as Figure 1 As shown, the user's posture is based on the state of being mounted on the housing 14 of the electronic device 12. The near front side is referred to as the front, the depth side as the rear, the thickness direction as the top and bottom, and the width direction as the left and right.

[0022] The housing 14 internally houses various electronic components, including a motherboard with a CPU, an SSD, a memory, and a battery. A keyboard 10 is located on the upper surface 14a of the housing 14. The display housing 18 has a display 16 on its front side. The display 16 is, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic EL display. The display housing 18 is rotatably connected to the rear end of the housing 14 via a hinge 20.

[0023] Figure 2 This is an enlarged side sectional view schematically showing the main parts of the keyboard device 10.

[0024] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the keyboard device 10 includes multiple key switches 22, a base plate 24, multiple holding members 26, a positioning member 28, a diaphragm 30, and a light source module 32. The keyboard device 10 of this embodiment is an isolated type keyboard device in which the operating part of each key switch 22, that is, the keycap 34, is separated by a frame part 36.

[0025] Each key switch 22 has a keycap 34 and a support mechanism 37. The support mechanism 37 supports the keycap 34 as a vertically movable actuator on the upper surface 24a side of the base plate 24. The support mechanism 37 has: a scaling mechanism that holds a pair of rotatably intersecting frames 37a, 37b between the lower surface of the keycap 34 and the upper surface 24a of the base plate 24; and a rubber dome (not shown).

[0026] exist Figure 2 In the illustrated structural example, the support mechanism 37 has sliding pins and rotating pins arranged in a front-to-back pattern on the upper side of each frame 37a, 37b. The sliding pins are supported on the lower surface of the keycap 34 to allow horizontal movement, and the rotating pins are supported on the lower surface of the keycap 34 to allow rotation. Sliding pins 37c and rotating pins 37d are also provided on the lower side of each frame 37a, 37b. The sliding pins 37c and rotating pins 37d are supported by a retaining member 26 that engages with the upper surface 24a of the base plate 24. The rubber dome is a dome-shaped component made of a flexible elastic material such as silicone rubber, inserted into the inner opening of the frames 37a, 37b, between the lower surface of the keycap 34 and the diaphragm 30. When each keycap 34 is pressed, the rubber dome elastically deforms and presses against the diaphragm 30; when the pressing operation is released, it returns to its original position by the elastic force of the rubber dome.

[0027] Each retaining member 26 is a rectangular frame-shaped member disposed on the upper surface 24a of the base plate 24, supporting the sliding pin 37c and the rotating shaft pin 37d on the lower side of the support mechanism 37. The retaining member 26 has: a horizontal hole 26b to support the sliding pin 37c so that it can move horizontally; and a bearing hole 26c to support the rotating shaft pin 37d so that it can rotate.

[0028] The retaining member 26 is joined to the base plate 24 by insert molding of resin material. The resin material forming the retaining member 26 is formed to be transparent or translucent and has light transmittance. The base plate 24 has through-holes 38 formed at positions corresponding to each key switch 22. Each retaining member 26 is joined to the inner wall surface and edge of the hole 38. The retaining member 26 is joined to the upper surface 24a of the edge of the hole 38, and is joined to the inner wall surface of the hole 38 in a state where a pin-shaped protrusion 26a protruding from the lower surface is fitted into the hole 38. Thus, the retaining member 26 is firmly joined to the base plate 24 without wobbling. Furthermore, as Figure 2As shown, the diaphragm 30 is stacked on the upper surface 24a of the base plate 24 in a manner that surrounds the retaining member 26. Therefore, Figure 2 The portion of the retaining member 26 that engages with the upper surface 24a is hidden by the diaphragm 30, but it actually abuts against the upper surface 24a.

[0029] The base plate 24 is the mounting plate for each key switch 22. The base plate 24 is formed, for example, by punching, cutting and shaping a thin stainless steel plate, aluminum plate or other metal plate. The base plate 24 has: a plurality of holes 38 corresponding to each key switch 22; and at least one (three in this embodiment) hole 40.

[0030] like Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, three holes 40 are arranged in the left-right direction, and a positioning member 28 is provided for each hole 40. Figure 2 As shown, the base plate 24 has a protrusion 41 that extends from the lower surface 24b side as a portion. The protrusion 41, for example, has a drawn shape formed by smoothly pressing the base plate 24 towards the lower surface 24b side, and protrudes in a disc shape to surround the entire circumference of the hole 40 (see reference). Figure 3 The hole 40 penetrates the center of the protrusion 41.

[0031] Each positioning member 28 positions the base plate 24 relative to the frame portion 36, i.e., the housing 14. In this embodiment, the positioning member 28 is positioned relative to the positioning pin 42 provided on the frame portion 36. The positioning member 28 is joined to the base plate 24 by insert molding of resin material. In order to be integrally inserted with the retaining member 26, the positioning member 28 is formed of the same resin material as the retaining member 26. Therefore, the positioning member 28 is also formed to be transparent or translucent and has light transmittance.

[0032] Each positioning component 28 engages with the inner wall surface 40a and the edge portion 40b of each hole portion 40. The positioning component 28 has: a cylindrical portion 28a, which engages with the inner wall surface 40a; and flange portions 28b and 28c, which engage with the edge portion 40b. A positioning hole 28d is formed through the cylindrical portion 28a for inserting a pin 42 protruding from the frame portion 36. The cylindrical portion 28a engages along the inner wall surface 40a of the hole portion 40. The flange portion 28b engages with the upper surface 41a of the protrusion 41. The flange portion 28c engages with the lower surface 41b of the protrusion 41.

[0033] Therefore, the positioning member 28 is securely engaged with the base plate 24 in a manner that grips the protrusion 41. As a result, the upper surface 28e (the surface of the flange 28b) of the positioning member 28 is configured to be flush with or below the upper surface 24a of the base plate 24.

[0034] The protrusion of the base plate 24 can be configured to securely engage the positioning member 28 relative to the base plate 24 and to set the upper surface 28e to be flush with or below the upper surface 24a, or it can be configured otherwise. Figure 3 Structures other than the structure shown (protrusion 41).

[0035] For example, such as Figure 4 As shown, the base plate 24 can also be configured to have a protrusion 43 instead of the protrusion 41. The protrusion 43 is a plate formed by cutting a portion of the base plate 24 and raising it towards the lower surface 24b, for example, a pair of such plates are provided around the hole 40. The side cross-sectional shape of the protrusion 43 is similar to... Figure 2 The protrusions 41 shown are generally the same, being claw-shaped plates that curve downwards. The protrusions 43 are preferably arranged at equal intervals along the circumference of the hole 40; for example, three or more may be arranged in a similar configuration. The positioning member 28 also engages with the protrusions 43 by means of the same shape and structure as the protrusions 41. That is, the cylindrical portion 28a of the positioning member 28 engages with the inner wall surface 43a in a manner that traces a circle passing through the inner wall surface 43a of each protrusion 43. The flange portions 28b and 28c engage with the upper surfaces 43b and 43c of the protrusions 43, respectively.

[0036] The diaphragm 30 is a switch plate used to detect the pressing operation of each keycap 34, and is stacked on the upper surface 24a of the base plate 24 (see reference). Figure 2 The diaphragm 30 extends across almost the entire upper surface 24a of the base plate 24, positioned below all the key switches 22. The diaphragm 30 is, for example, a three-layered switch piece where the contacts close when pressed. For example, when the diaphragm 30 is pressed by the rubber dome at the overlapping position of the fixed and movable contacts, the fixed and movable contacts come into close contact, thereby closing the contacts.

[0037] like Figure 2 As shown, the diaphragm 30 has: a plurality of openings 44 that overlap with the holes 38 of the base plate 24; and at least one (three in this embodiment) opening 45 that overlaps with the holes 40. Each opening 44 is for insertion of the protrusion 26a of each retaining member 26. The opening 45 is for insertion of the pin 42 of the frame portion 36. The diaphragm 30 is configured such that the peripheral portion (edge ​​45a) of the opening 45 covers the upper surface 28e of the positioning member 28. That is, the diaphragm 30 overlaps with the positioning member 28 in the vertical direction.

[0038] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the frame portion 36 is a mesh-like frame material with multiple key insertion holes 36a into which each keycap 34 can be movably inserted vertically. Each keycap 34 is separated from other adjacent keycaps 34 by the frame portion 36, forming an independent configuration. The frame portion 36 constitutes part of the housing 14 and can be an integral structure formed with the covering material forming the upper surface 14a of the housing 14, or it can be a structure formed independently of the covering material.

[0039] like Figure 2 As shown, the frame portion 36 covers the opening 45 and the positioning hole 28d, and overlaps with the edge portion 45a of the diaphragm 30 in the vertical direction. However, in order to facilitate the positioning of the frame portion 36, the positioning member 28 cannot be designed as an extremely small structure, and a certain size needs to be ensured. Therefore, it is difficult to completely hide the positioning member 28 under the frame portion 36, and a part of it is exposed in the gap C between the outer surface 34a of the keycap 34 and the inner wall surface of the key insertion hole 36a. That is, a part of the positioning member 28 overlaps with the gap C in the vertical direction.

[0040] Figure 5 This is a schematic exploded perspective view of the light source module 32. (See diagram below.) Figure 2 and Figure 5 As shown, the light source module 32 is a stacked structure of multiple components, including a light shield 46, a light guide plate 47, a light source substrate 48, and a reflector 49, arranged from top to bottom.

[0041] The light source substrate 48 extends in the left-right direction along the leading edge of the light source module 32, i.e., the leading edge of the keyboard device 10. The light source substrate 48 includes, for example, a light source composed of an LED (light emitting diode) and an FPC (flexible printed circuit), on which the light source is mounted. Multiple light sources are mounted in a left-right arrangement on the upper surface of the FPC, facing the front side of the light guide plate 47. The FPC is mounted on the lower surface of the lowest reflector plate 49 and connected to the motherboard or the like within the housing 14.

[0042] The light guide plate 47 is, for example, a sheet or sheet of a light-transmitting resin such as PET, polycarbonate, or acrylic resin. The light guide plate 47 guides light emitted from light sources arranged in the left-right direction in the front-back direction (see reference). Figure 2 The light L is indicated by a single-dot dash, which causes each keycap 34 to emit light.

[0043] The light-shielding sheet 46 is a thin sheet made of a light-blocking material and is stacked on the upper surface of the light guide plate 47. The light-shielding sheet 46 prevents the light L guided by the light guide plate 47 from shining upwards from the portion other than directly below each keycap 34. Therefore, the cutouts 46a of the light-shielding sheet 46 for allowing the light L to pass through are formed at the positions overlapping with each keycap 34.

[0044] The reflector 49 is a plate or sheet made of light-reflecting material. The reflector 49 is a component used to prevent light L passing through the light guide plate 47 from leaking to the lower surface side by covering the lower surface of the light guide plate 47, thereby improving the light guiding efficiency.

[0045] The light-shielding plates 46, light guide plates 47, and reflectors 49 are respectively provided with mounting holes 46b, 47a, and 49a that are connected in the vertical direction. The light source module 32 is fixed to the lower surface 24b of the base plate 24 by screws that pass through each mounting hole 46b, 47a, and 49a from bottom to top.

[0046] In this light source module 32, light L emitted from each light source on the light source substrate 48 is reflected by the reflector 49 and guided in the front-to-back direction by the light guide plate 47. It passes through the cutout 46a of the light shield 46, through each holding member 26, and illuminates each keycap 34 from the back. Each keycap 34 has a translucent portion 34b formed of a light-transmitting material, for example, on the portion of the surface where letters or symbols are formed. Therefore, light L passing through the cutout 46a from the light guide plate 47 passes through the translucent portion 34b, causing each keycap 34 to emit light.

[0047] Next, a sequence of the manufacturing method of the keyboard device 10 of this embodiment will be described. Figure 6 This is a schematic side sectional view used to illustrate the method of engaging the retaining member 26 and the positioning member 28 to the base plate 24.

[0048] Regarding this manufacturing method, firstly, as... Figure 6 As shown, a base plate 24, pre-formed with holes 38 and 40 and protrusions 41 (43) through machining, is placed on a mold 50 consisting of an upper mold 50a and a lower mold 50b. Holes 38 of the base plate 24 are correspondingly disposed in cavities 50c, and holes 40 are correspondingly disposed in cavities 50d. Cavity 50c is part of the forming holding member 26. Cavity 50d is part of the forming positioning member 28.

[0049] Next, a translucent resin material for forming the retaining member 26 and the positioning member 28 is injected into the mold 50. The result is, as... Figure 3 As shown, the retaining member 26 and the positioning member 28 are joined to the base plate 24 using insert molding with the same mold 50. Then, the light source module 32, key switch 22, and diaphragm 30 are installed on the base plate 24 with the retaining member 26 and the positioning member 28 joined, thus completing the manufacture of the keyboard device 10. Furthermore, the diaphragm 30 overlaps the edge 45a of the opening 45 with the positioning member 28 in the vertical direction.

[0050] The keyboard device 10 manufactured in this way is positioned relative to the housing 14 by inserting the pin 42 of the frame portion 36 into the positioning hole 28d of the positioning member 28. At the same time, each keycap 34 is arranged in each key insertion hole 36a, and the frame portion 36 and the base plate 24 are fixed with screws. Thus, the keyboard device 10 is mounted on the electronic device 12.

[0051] In this embodiment, the holding member 26 and the positioning member 28 of the keyboard device 10 are formed simultaneously and in a mutually positioned state using the same mold 50 through insert molding. Therefore, the distance (pitch) between the center of the positioning hole 28d, which serves as the positioning reference relative to the frame portion 36, and the center of the holding member 26, which serves as the positioning reference for the keycap 34, is within the desired tolerance. That is, when the keyboard device 10 is mounted on the housing 14, each keycap 34 can be positioned with high precision relative to the frame portion 36. As a result, interference between the keycap 34 and the frame portion 36 is prevented, the gap C becomes uniform, and the appearance quality is improved.

[0052] However, in this keyboard device 10, the positioning member 28 and the holding member 26 are integrally formed together using the same mold 50. Therefore, not only the holding member 26, which needs to allow light L to pass through, but also the positioning member 28 is made of a light-transmitting material. As a result, sometimes the light L guided by the light guide plate 47 is also guided to the positioning member 28 (see reference). Figure 2 (Light L1 is shown as a single-dot dashed line). Here, assuming that the positioning member 28 is exposed in the gap C between the keycap 34 and the frame portion 36, there is a possibility that the light L1 transmitted through the positioning member 28 may leak out from the gap C.

[0053] Therefore, in this embodiment, the keyboard device 10 is configured with the diaphragm 30 overlapping the positioning member 28 in the vertical direction. As a result, the keyboard device 10 can use the diaphragm 30 to block the light L1 introduced from the light guide plate 47 to the positioning member 28, and can suppress light leakage from the gap C. In this way, the keyboard device 10 also uses the diaphragm 30 as a shield to prevent light leakage, so it is possible to control the increase in the number of components and cost while suppressing light leakage.

[0054] In particular, the keyboard device 10 engages the positioning member 28 with the base plate 24 by gripping the protrusion 41 (43) that extends toward the lower surface 24b of the base plate 24. Thus, the engagement position of the positioning member 28 relative to the base plate 24 is positioned as low as possible, with its upper surface 28e flush with or below the upper surface 24a of the base plate 24. This creates a free space above the positioning member 28, allowing the diaphragm 30 to be positioned within this space. As a result, the diaphragm 30 can smoothly and flexibly cover the upper surface 28e of the positioning member 28 without forming creases, thus suppressing malfunctions in the switch section.

[0055] Furthermore, the portion of the positioning member 28 that overlaps with the gap C in the vertical direction may be covered by the diaphragm 30. That is, the diaphragm 30 may not cover the entire circumference of the positioning member 28. The diaphragm 30 only needs to be configured to at least cover the position where the positioning member 28 extends from below the frame portion 36 and is exposed in the gap C.

[0056] like Figure 2 As shown, the diaphragm 30 overlaps with the frame portion 36 in the vertical direction at the position where it overlaps with the positioning member 28. That is, the edge 45a of the diaphragm 30 is inserted below the frame portion 36. Therefore, the keyboard device 10 can more reliably suppress light leakage from the positioning member 28.

[0057] However, as Figure 2 As shown, a light guide plate 47 needs to be cut around the positioning member 28. Therefore, the keycap 34 (see reference) is located behind this cut portion (positioning member 28) in the direction of light irradiation (front-back direction) from the light source substrate 48. Figure 1 The three keycaps (34A) may not receive sufficient light, resulting in reduced light emission. To address this, the keyboard device 10 employs a structure where a diaphragm 30 blocks light from the positioning member 28 to suppress light leakage. Therefore, the cutting amount of the light guide plate 47 only needs to be minimized around the protrusion 41 (43), which also helps to suppress light leakage. Figure 1 The light emission at keycap 34A shown is reduced.

[0058] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and modifications can be made freely without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0059] For example, the keyboard device 10 may also be a structure in which the keycaps 34 are not separated by the frame portion 36. In this case, the frame portion 36 is configured as a rectangular outer frame surrounding the outer periphery of the end keycaps 34 arranged along the outer edge of the keyboard device 10, rather than a mesh shape. In this case, the diaphragm 30 can also cover the positioning member 28 exposed in the gap between the frame portion 36 and the adjacent end keycap 34.

[0060] The above example illustrates a structure in which the pin 42 of the frame portion 36 is inserted into the positioning member 28, positioning the keyboard device 10 within the frame portion 36 (housing 14). This positioning structure can also be configured such that the positioning member 28 has an upwardly protruding pin, and the frame portion 36 (housing 14) has a positioning hole for the pin to be inserted. In this case, it is preferable that the edge 45a of the opening 45 of the diaphragm 30 is arranged to cover the area around the pin of the positioning member 28, preventing light leakage from there.

[0061] In the above, the structure of the keyboard device 10 mounted on the housing 14 of the electronic device 12 is illustrated. However, if the keyboard device 10 is configured to be externally mounted on a desktop PC, the keyboard device 10 only needs to be positioned relative to the housing of the external device.

Claims

1. A keyboard device, mounted on a housing, characterized in that, have: Metal base plate; A diaphragm is stacked on the upper surface of the base plate; Multiple keycaps are configured to be movable up and down via a support mechanism on the upper surface side of the base plate; A light source module, stacked on the lower surface of the base plate, illuminates the keycap with light; Multiple retaining components, formed of a light-transmitting resin material and joined to the base plate, are used to mount the support mechanism to the base plate; as well as A positioning component, formed of the same material as the retaining component and engaged with the base plate, is used to position the base plate relative to the housing. The diaphragm overlaps with the positioning component in the vertical direction.

2. The keyboard device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The base plate has a protrusion that extends downwards from the surface. The positioning component engages with the base plate in a manner that grips the protrusion.

3. The keyboard device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The housing has a frame portion, which is provided with a plurality of key insertion holes for each keycap to be movably inserted vertically, thus separating adjacent keycaps. A gap is provided between the inner wall surface of the key insertion hole and the outer surface of the keycap. The positioning component overlaps with the gap in the vertical direction. At least the portion of the positioning component that overlaps with the gap is covered by the diaphragm.

4. The keyboard device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The upper surface of the positioning component is configured to be flush with or below the upper surface of the base plate. The diaphragm is placed on the upper surface of the positioning component.

5. The keyboard device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The base plate has a through hole in the vertical direction. The positioning component is disposed inside the hole, and the positioning component has a positioning hole that extends through in the vertical direction. The housing has a pin that is inserted into the positioning hole for positioning. The diaphragm has an opening that communicates with the positioning hole for the pin to pass through. The edge of the opening of the diaphragm overlaps with the positioning component in the vertical direction.

6. The keyboard device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The base plate has a through hole in the vertical direction. The positioning component is disposed inside the hole, and the positioning component has a positioning hole that extends through in the vertical direction. The housing has a pin that is inserted into the positioning hole for positioning. The diaphragm has an opening that communicates with the positioning hole for the pin to pass through. The edge of the opening of the diaphragm overlaps with the positioning component in the vertical direction.

7. The keyboard device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The base plate has a through hole in the vertical direction. The positioning component is disposed inside the hole, and the positioning component has a positioning hole that extends through in the vertical direction. The housing has a pin that is inserted into the positioning hole for positioning. The diaphragm has an opening that communicates with the positioning hole for the pin to pass through. The edge of the opening of the diaphragm overlaps with the positioning component in the vertical direction.

8. The keyboard device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The protrusion has a drawn shape formed by pressing a portion of the base plate toward the lower surface.

9. The keyboard device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The protrusion has a plate formed by cutting a portion of the base plate and making it protrude downwards.

10. An electronic device, characterized in that, have: shell; and The keyboard device is mounted on the housing. The keyboard device includes: Metal base plate; A diaphragm is stacked on the upper surface of the base plate; Multiple keycaps are configured to be movable up and down via a support mechanism on the upper surface side of the base plate; A light source module, stacked on the lower surface of the base plate, illuminates the keycap with light; Multiple retaining components, formed of a light-transmitting resin material and joined to the base plate, are used to mount the support mechanism to the base plate; as well as A positioning component, formed of the same material as the retaining component and engaged with the base plate, is used to position the base plate relative to the housing. The diaphragm overlaps with the positioning component in the vertical direction.

11. The electronic device according to claim 10, characterized in that, The housing has a frame portion, which is provided with a plurality of key insertion holes for each keycap to be movably inserted vertically, thus separating adjacent keycaps. A gap is provided between the inner wall surface of the key insertion hole and the outer surface of the keycap. The positioning component overlaps with the gap in the vertical direction. At least the portion of the positioning component that overlaps with the gap is covered by the diaphragm.

12. The electronic device according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that, The base plate has a protrusion that extends downwards from the surface. The positioning component engages with the base plate in a manner that grips the protrusion.

13. A method for manufacturing a keyboard device, which is a method for manufacturing a keyboard device mounted on a housing, characterized in that, have: The process of forming a protrusion on a metal base plate, such that a portion of it extends to the lower surface. The process of placing a base plate with the protrusions formed thereon in a mold and injecting a translucent resin, thereby joining a positioning component for positioning the base plate relative to the housing and a plurality of retaining components for a support mechanism for supporting a keycap mounted on the upper surface side of the base plate to the base plate by insert molding. A process of installing a light source module for irradiating light onto the keycap through the retaining member on the lower surface side of the base plate that is joined with the positioning member and the retaining member; as well as The process of laminating a diaphragm on the upper surface of the base plate to which the positioning member and the holding member are joined, and overlapping the diaphragm with respect to the positioning member in the vertical direction.

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