Key structure

Abstract

A key structure includes a circuit board, a key cap, an elastic member, and a metal member. The key cap has a bottom part facing the circuit board. The elastic member is disposed between the circuit board and the key cap. The elastic member includes a dome part, a hollow part, and a conducting post. The dome part is in contact with the bottom part of the key cap. The hollow part is located inside the dome part. The conducting post is located in the hollow part, and the conducting post extends from the dome part to the circuit board. The metal member covers the outside of the conducting post. The metal member includes a triggering part, which is a protruding part extending in the direction facing the circuit board.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention discloses a button structure. Background Technology

[0002] In current computer usage habits, the keyboard is an indispensable input device. Both computers themselves and their peripherals are evolving towards a design philosophy of being light, thin, short, and small. Keyboards have also transformed from early large structures to thin keyboards. Thin keyboards typically use membrane circuit boards and are therefore called membrane keyboards. The main components of a membrane keyboard include a membrane circuit board, a spring mechanism, and keycaps. Pressing a keycap triggers the switch of the membrane circuit board, while the spring mechanism provides the force for the keycap to return to its original position.

[0003] Generally, the elastic element is made of rubber dome, and the pressing stroke and feel depend on the rubber dome. However, the pressing feel of buttons using rubber domes cannot compare with that of buttons using mechanical switches, and there is a real need for improvement. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the above-mentioned problems, the main objective of the present invention is to provide a button structure that solves the problem of poor pressing feel of existing button structures by means of a novel design in which a metal part is covered by an elastic part.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a key structure comprising a circuit board, a keycap, an elastic element, and a metal component. The keycap has a bottom facing the circuit board. The elastic element is disposed between the circuit board and the keycap. The elastic element includes a dome, a hollow portion, and a conductive post. The dome contacts the bottom of the keycap. The hollow portion is located inside the dome. The conductive post is located in the hollow portion and extends from the dome toward the circuit board. The metal component covers the outer side of the conductive post. The metal component includes a trigger portion, which is a protrusion extending toward the circuit board.

[0006] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the metal part further includes at least one weakening portion. The metal part is bent at the weakening portion and sleeved onto the outside of the conductive post.

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the weakening part is a ring structure.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a first gap exists between the metal component and the conductive post.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the circuit board includes at least one switch, and a trigger portion corresponds to the switch.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the trigger portion has an outer edge and a center, and the thickness of the trigger portion gradually increases from the outer edge to the center.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the keycap further includes a rib disposed at the bottom. The elastic element further includes a through hole located within the conductive post, and the rib is accommodated in the through hole.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a second gap is provided between the metal part and the rib.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the button structure further includes a metal dome disposed on the circuit board and located within the hollow portion of the elastic member. The metal dome includes at least one limiting portion located on the side of the metal dome facing the guide post.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present invention, when the keycap is pressed, the conduction post is located inside the limiting portion.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a third gap exists between the metal dome and the circuit board.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the metal part is formed on the outside of the conductive post by means of embedding or injection molding.

[0017] As described above, the key structure according to the present invention includes a circuit board, a keycap, an elastic element, and a metal component. The elastic element includes a dome, a hollow portion, and a conductive post. The hollow portion is located inside the dome. The conductive post is located in the hollow portion and extends from the dome towards the circuit board. The metal component covers the outer side of the conductive post. When a user presses the keycap of the key structure of the present invention, the overall collapse and deformation of the elastic element produces a pressing sensation. Simultaneously, the conductive post and the outer metal component touch the circuit board downwards, resulting in a tactile impact and a striking sound. This tactile sensation and striking sound from the metal component impact is similar to the pressing feel of a mechanical key, thereby improving the pressing feel of the key structure using a rubber dome (elastic element). Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is an exploded view of the button structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2A for Figure 1 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of the button structure after assembly is shown.

[0020] Figure 2B for Figure 1 An enlarged schematic diagram of another embodiment of the metal component shown;

[0021] Figure 3 This is an exploded view of the button structure according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of the button structure after assembly is shown.

[0023] Figure 5 This is an exploded view of the button structure according to the third embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 6 for Figure 5 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the assembled button structure.

[0025] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0026] Button structures 1, 1a, 1b

[0027] Circuit Board 10

[0028] Switch 11

[0029] Keycaps 20, 20a

[0030] Bottom 21, 21a

[0031] Rib 22a

[0032] Elastic elements 30, 30a

[0033] Round top 31, 31a

[0034] Hollow section 32

[0035] Conductor posts 33, 33a

[0036] Through hole 34a

[0037] Metal parts 40, 40a

[0038] Weakening sections 41, 41a

[0039] Trigger 42

[0040] Outer edge 421

[0041] Center 422

[0042] Metal Dome 50b

[0043] Limiting part 51b

[0044] First gap S1

[0045] Second gap S2

[0046] Third gap S3 Detailed Implementation

[0047] To better understand the technical content of the present invention, preferred embodiments are described below.

[0048] Figure 1 This is an exploded view of the button structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2A for Figure 1 Please refer to the cross-sectional diagram of the button structure assembly shown below. Figure 1 and Figure 2A As shown. In this embodiment, the key structure 1 includes a circuit board 10, keycaps 20, elastic elements 30, and metal parts 40. The key structure 1 can be applied to a membrane keyboard, and the circuit board 10 can be a membrane circuit board (or membrane switch circuit board). Generally, a membrane keyboard also has a base plate and a scissor-switch connector (not shown), with the circuit board 10 disposed on the base plate, and the scissor-switch connector connecting the keycaps 20 and the base plate. Specifically, the base plate has hooks for connecting the scissor-switch connector, and the circuit board 10 may have multiple openings (not shown) corresponding to the hooks, allowing one end of the scissor-switch connector to be assembled to the base plate. The other end of the scissor-switch connector is connected to the keycaps 20, allowing the keycaps 20 to be connected to the base plate through the scissor-switch connector and to move up and down relative to the base plate via the guide of the scissor-switch connector.

[0049] It should also be noted that the shape of the circuit board 10 can correspond to a membrane keyboard, for example, it can be rectangular, while the accompanying drawings only show a portion of the structure of the circuit board 10. Specifically, the circuit board 10 has conductive silver paste lines, and each corresponding to a keycap 20 can have a relatively large area. For example... Figure 1 The circuit board 10 shown is a circular silver paste line corresponding to the keycap 20 of a button structure 1. Furthermore, the circuit board 10 includes multiple switches 11 located on the aforementioned conductive silver paste lines. Similarly, each button structure 1 corresponds to one of the switches 11, hence the attached drawings show one of the switches 11.

[0050] The keycap 20 has a bottom 21 facing the circuit board 10. An elastic element 30 is disposed between the circuit board 10 and the keycap 20. In this embodiment, the elastic element 30 is a rubber dome. The elastic element 30 includes a dome 31, a hollow portion 32, and a conductive post 33. The elastic element 30 is disposed on the circuit board 10 and corresponds to a switch 11. The top of the dome 31 contacts the bottom 21 of the keycap 20, while the hollow portion 32 is located inside the dome 31. Therefore, when the keycap 20 is pressed, the keycap 20 can press downwards against the dome 31 of the elastic element 30, and the hollow portion 32 structure causes the entire elastic element 30 to collapse and deform, producing a breaking sensation when pressed.

[0051] Furthermore, the conductive post 33 is located in the hollow portion 32, and the conductive post 33 is a protrusion extending from the dome 31 towards the circuit board 10, corresponding to the switch 11. In this embodiment, the button structure 1 also has a metal part 40, which covers the outside of the conductive post 33. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the metal part 40 only covers the outside of the conductive post 33 and does not contact the inside of the dome 31, so that when the elastic member 30 is pressed, the structure of the metal part 40 will not affect the collapse and deformation of the elastic member 30 and the dome 31.

[0052] Preferably, the metal part 40 of the guide post also includes at least one weakening portion 41. In this embodiment, the weakening portion 41 refers to a weakened structure that can be deformed by applied force (e.g., force applied during mold closing). Specifically, the weakening portion 41 may be, for example, but not limited to, a hole, a groove, or other thinned structure. The metal part 40 is a metal sheet before molding and has the weakening portion 41. When the metal part 40 is molded on the outside of the guide post 33, the structure of the weakening portion 41 disperses the pressure, allowing the metal part 40 to be bent at the location of the weakening portion 41 to form a U-shaped structure, and thus fit onto the outside of the guide post 33, such as... Figure 2A As shown. In other words, the weakening part 41 reduces the stress on the metal part 40, thereby preventing the metal part 40 from being unable to be bent and formed. It should be noted that, Figure 1 The metal part 40 shown is also in a bent state after being formed.

[0053] In this embodiment, the metal part 40 can be formed on the outside of the guide post 33 by, for example, but not limited to, insert molding or co-injection molding. This embodiment uses insert molding as an example. In one embodiment, the metal part 40 in the form of a metal sheet can be pre-placed in the mold and positioned in the mold to form the guide post 33. Then, the mold is closed and injected with rubber material. The force applied during mold closing can bend the metal part 40 to simultaneously form the elastic part 30 and the metal part 40 covering the outside of the guide post 33. In another embodiment, the elastic part 30 can also be pre-formed by injection molding with rubber material. Then, the metal part 40 and the elastic part 30 are placed in the mold. Similarly, the force applied during mold closing can bend the metal part 40 and cover the outside of the guide post 33.

[0054] Furthermore, the size of the metal part 40 and the position of the weakened portion 41 can be adjusted according to the width of the conductive post 33. In this embodiment, the weakened portion 41 can be an annular structure. The inner diameter of the weakened portion 41 can be slightly larger than or equal to the width of the conductive post 33, so that after the metal part 40 is bent in the weakened portion 41, it can be just fitted onto the conductive post 33. In this embodiment, the weakened portion 41 is an annular groove and also an annular thinned structure.

[0055] Figure 2B for Figure 1 Please refer to the enlarged schematic diagram of another embodiment of the metal part shown. Figure 1 and Figure 2B As shown. In this embodiment, the metal part 40a may also include a plurality of weakened portions 41a, which are spaced apart. These spaced-apart weakened portions 41a may be grooves, thinned, or perforated, as described above; here, a perforation is taken as an example. Furthermore, these weakened portions 41a may be arranged at intervals according to the bottom shape of the conductive post 33, for example, arranged in a ring. Preferably, these weakened portions 41a may also be arranged symmetrically.

[0056] As mentioned earlier, when the keycap 20 is pressed, the elastic element 30 collapses and deforms, producing a breaking sensation. Simultaneously, the conductive post 33 and its outer metal component 40 touch the circuit board 10 downwards, resulting in a tactile impact and a striking sound. This impact sensation and striking sound from the metal component 40 are similar to the pressing feel of a mechanical switch key, thereby improving the pressing feel of the key structure 1 using a rubber dome.

[0057] In this embodiment, the metal part 40 also includes a trigger portion 42, which is a protrusion extending toward the circuit board 10. Preferably, the trigger portion 42 can be an arc-shaped protrusion. Specifically, the trigger portion 42 has an outer edge 421 and a center 422, and the thickness of the trigger portion 42 gradually increases from the outer edge 421 to the center 422. In other words, the center 422 of the trigger portion 42 is more prominent (i.e., thicker), while the thickness is thinner closer to the outer edge 421. The trigger portion 42 corresponds to the switch 11, and the center 422 of the trigger portion 42 is configured to correspond to the switch 11. When the keycap 20 is pressed, the trigger portion 42 contacts the switch 11, thereby generating a corresponding input signal. Furthermore, since the trigger portion 42 in this embodiment is a protrusion, when it contacts the switch 11, it can contact the plane (i.e., the switch 11) with the protrusion (i.e., the trigger portion 42), so as to trigger the switch 11 to conduct.

[0058] Better, such as Figure 2AAs shown, a first gap S1 exists between the metal part 40 and the conductive post 33, and the first gap S1 between the metal part 40 and the conductive post 33 is located on the opposite side of the trigger part 42. Preferably, the first gap S1 is greater than 0.05 mm. The first gap S1 provides space for the metal part 40 to rebound. Specifically, when the keycap 20 is pressed, the collapse deformation of the elastic member 30 can produce the first breaking sensation. Then, after the trigger part 42 of the metal part 40 touches the switch 11 of the circuit board 10 downwards, it can rebound in the direction of the first gap S1 (i.e., the collapse deformation of the metal part 40), at which time a second breaking sensation can be produced. In other words, when the user strikes the key structure 1 of this embodiment, a series of breaking sensations (i.e., the aforementioned first and second breaking sensations) can be produced, accompanied by the impact sound of the metal part 40 and the sound of collapse deformation during rebound. This striking experience is more similar to the striking experience of a mechanical switch key.

[0059] Figure 3 This is an exploded view of the button structure according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 for Figure 3 Please refer to the cross-sectional diagram of the button structure assembly shown below. Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown. The main difference between the key structure 1a of this embodiment and the first embodiment lies in the keycap 20a. The keycap 20a of this embodiment also includes a rib 22a, which is disposed at the bottom 21a and extends from the bottom 21a toward the circuit board 10. Correspondingly, the elastic member 30a also includes a through hole 34a, which is located inside the conductive post 33a and penetrates the dome 31a and the conductive post 33a, so that the rib 22a can be accommodated in the through hole 34a. The structure of the circuit board 10 and the metal member 40 is the same as that of the first embodiment, so their component symbols are used.

[0060] Rib 22a is disposed within the conductive post 33a of the elastic member 30a, such that rib 22a corresponds to the trigger part 42 and the switch 11 of the circuit board 10. When the keycap 20a is pressed, the rib 22a presses down on the metal member 40, causing the trigger part 42 to contact the switch 11, thereby generating a corresponding input signal. In this embodiment, the keycap 20a and its rib 22a are made of plastic, which is less prone to deformation compared to the rubber material of the elastic member 30a. Therefore, the rib 22a effectively transmits the pressing force to the trigger part 42, ensuring that an input signal is generated with each pressing operation.

[0061] In this embodiment, a second gap S2 exists between the metal part 40 and the rib 22a, which also provides space for the metal part 40 to rebound. Preferably, the second gap S2 is greater than 0.05 mm. Therefore, when the button structure 1a of this embodiment is pressed, a series of breaking sensations are produced, accompanied by the impact sound of the metal part 40 and the sound of collapse and deformation during rebound, which is similar to the striking experience of a mechanical key.

[0062] Figure 5 This is an exploded view of the button structure according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 for Figure 5 Please refer to the cross-sectional diagram of the button structure assembly shown below. Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown. The main difference between the button structure 1b in this embodiment and the first embodiment is that the button structure 1b in this embodiment also includes a metal dome 50b. The structures of the circuit board 10, keycap 20, elastic element 30 and metal element 40 are the same as in the first embodiment, so their component symbols are used accordingly.

[0063] In this embodiment, the metal dome 50b is disposed on the circuit board 10 and located within the hollow portion 32 of the elastic member 30, such as... Figure 6 As shown. When the keycap 20 of the key structure 1b is pressed, the elastic element 30 collapses and deforms, causing the metal element 40 to move downwards until it contacts the metal dome 50b. Then, the metal dome 50b contacts the switch 11 of the circuit board 10, generating an input signal. Overall, when the user presses the key structure 1b of this embodiment, they can feel the first breaking sensation of the elastic element 30 collapsing and deforming, followed by the impact sensation and striking sound of the metal element 40 against the metal dome 50b, which is more similar to the pressing sensation of a mechanical key. Furthermore, there is a third gap S3 between the metal dome 50b and the circuit board 10. Therefore, after the metal dome 50b contacts the circuit board 10, it can rebound into the space of the third gap S3, thus generating a second breaking sensation. The successive breaking sensations (i.e. the first and second breaking sensations mentioned above), the impact sounds of the two metal materials (i.e., metal part 40 and metal dome 50b), and the sound of the metal dome 50b collapsing and deforming when it rebounds, all make the key-pressing experience of the key structure 1b closer to that of a mechanical switch key.

[0064] It should also be noted that in this embodiment, there is no gap between the metal part 40 and the conductive post 33, that is, there is no first gap S1 as in button structure 1. In other words, the conductive post 33 of the elastic member 30 directly abuts against the metal part 40. Therefore, when button structure 1b is pressed, the deformation of the metal part 40 is small, and the striking experience is mainly produced by the deformation of the metal dome 50b, which is different from that of button structures 1 and 1a in the aforementioned embodiments. In other embodiments, there may also be a gap between the metal part and the conductive post, that is, both the first gap and the third gap as in the aforementioned embodiments are present. The present invention is not limited to having only the first or the third gap.

[0065] Furthermore, the metal dome 50b includes at least one limiting portion 51b, and the limiting portion 51b is located on the side of the metal dome 50b facing the guide post 33. The limiting portion 51b is used to restrict the pressed metal piece 40 within the area formed by the limiting portion 51b. Specifically, the metal dome 50b has a plurality of limiting portions 51b, and these limiting portions 51b are spaced apart and arranged on the outer side of the metal piece 40. Therefore, when the keycap 20 is pressed, the guide post 33 and the metal piece 40 on its outer side can be located inside the limiting portion 51b, in other words, the metal piece 40 is restricted to the inner side of the limiting portion 51b.

[0066] Because metal materials have low friction, when two metal materials (i.e., metal part 40 and metal dome 50b) come into contact, they may shift. For example, when metal part 40 contacts metal dome 50b, metal part 40 may shift outwards and slide off metal dome 50b. Furthermore, in practical applications, the pressing position is not necessarily in the exact center of keycap 20, so the collapse direction of elastic element 30 is 360 degrees. If a corner of keycap 20 is subjected to heavy pressure, the collapse angle of elastic element 30 may be too large, causing the metal part 40 covering the outer side of elastic element 30 to shift and fail to press metal dome 50b, thus preventing metal dome 50b from collapsing. In other words, the shifting and sliding of metal part 40 will prevent metal dome 50b from moving effectively downwards, meaning metal dome 50b cannot effectively trigger switch 11 to generate an input signal. The metal dome 50b of this embodiment has a limiting part 51b structure, which can restrict the metal part 40 to the inside of the limiting part 51b to avoid the aforementioned offset and slippage, thereby effectively triggering the switch 11 and generating an input signal.

[0067] In summary, the key structure according to the present invention includes a circuit board, a keycap, an elastic element, and a metal component. The elastic element includes a dome, a hollow portion, and a conductive post. The hollow portion is located inside the dome. The conductive post is located in the hollow portion and extends from the dome towards the circuit board. The metal component covers the outer side of the conductive post. When a user presses the keycap of the key structure of the present invention, the overall collapse and deformation of the elastic element produces a pressing sensation. Simultaneously, the conductive post and the outer metal component touch the circuit board downwards, resulting in a tactile impact and a striking sound. This tactile sensation and striking sound from the metal component impact is similar to the pressing feel of a mechanical key, thereby improving the pressing feel of the key structure using a rubber dome (elastic element).

[0068] It should be noted that the above embodiments are examples for illustrative purposes only, and the scope of the claims of this invention should be determined by the claims, and not limited to the above embodiments.

Claims

1. A button structure, characterized in that, include: Circuit board; Keycaps, having a bottom that faces the circuit board; An elastic element is disposed between the circuit board and the keycap, the elastic element comprising: The rounded top contacts the bottom of the keycap; The hollow portion is located inside the dome; and A conductive post is located in the hollow portion, and the conductive post extends from the top of the dome towards the circuit board; and A metal component is covered on the outside of the conductive post. The metal component includes a trigger portion and at least one weakening portion. The trigger portion is a protrusion extending toward the circuit board. The metal component is bent at the weakening portion and fitted onto the outside of the conductive post.

2. The button structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The weakened part has a ring structure.

3. The button structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, There is a first gap between the metal component and the conductive post.

4. The button structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The circuit board includes at least one switch, and the trigger portion corresponds to the switch.

5. The button structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The trigger portion has an outer edge and a center, and the thickness of the trigger portion gradually increases from the outer edge to the center.

6. The button structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The keycap also includes a rib disposed at the bottom, and the elastic element also includes a through hole located within the conductive post, with the rib accommodated in the through hole.

7. The button structure as described in claim 6, characterized in that, There is a second gap between the metal part and the rib.

8. The button structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A metal dome is disposed on the circuit board and located within the hollow portion of the elastic member. The metal dome includes at least one limiting portion located on the side of the metal dome facing the conductive post.

9. The button structure as described in claim 8, characterized in that, When the keycap is pressed, the conductive post is located inside the limiting part.

10. The button structure as described in claim 8, characterized in that, There is a third gap between the metal dome and the circuit board.

11. The button structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The metal part is formed on the outer side of the guide post by means of embedding or injection molding.

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