Bushing and keyboard

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of keyboards, in particular to a shaft sleeve and a keyboard. The shaft sleeve comprises a sleeve body, the sleeve body is provided with a square hole used for mounting a shaft body, the upper end edge of the sleeve body extends inward to form a boss used for clamping connection with the shaft body, and the lower end of the sleeve body is provided with a clamping part used for clamping connection with a circuit board. Since the fixed middle plate is cancelled, the cavity between the circuit board and the original fixed middle plate disappears, thus the cavity sound is not easily formed during the use of the keyboard, the noise is reduced, the user experience is improved, and because the fixed middle plate is cancelled, the mechanical shaft body is effectively prevented from being damaged due to the inconsistent elastic deformation of the fixed middle plate and the circuit board of the keyboard, the consistency of the whole keyboard is effectively ensured, and the service life of the keyboard is prolonged. Meanwhile, the sleeve body is provided with the boss used for clamping connection with the shaft body, so that the connection firmness between the sleeve body and the shaft body is effectively improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of keyboard technology, specifically to keycap sleeves and keyboards. Background Technology

[0002] With the widespread use and development of computers, keyboards have become an important input device. Existing mechanical keyboards generally have a fixed middle plate, positioned above the circuit board, with multiple switches mounted on it. However, existing fixed middle plates have cavities between them and the circuit board, which can cause a hollow sound when typing, resulting in a poor user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0003] One of the objectives of this invention is to provide a bushing that solves the problem in the prior art where the keyboard easily produces a hollow sound when typing due to the cavity between the fixed middle plate and the circuit board, resulting in a poor user experience.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0005] A bushing includes a sleeve body for fitting onto a shaft, the upper edge of the sleeve body extending inward to form a boss, the sleeve body having a square hole for mounting the shaft, and the lower end of the sleeve body having a locking portion for engaging with a circuit board.

[0006] Preferably, the engaging portion includes at least two latches.

[0007] Preferably, the lower end of the sleeve has a positioning part.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide a keyboard including the bushings described above.

[0009] Preferably, the device further includes a circuit board, a switch, and a keycap. The switch and the sleeve are both disposed on the circuit board. Multiple switches and sleeves are disposed, with each set corresponding to a specific switch. The keycap is disposed on the switch.

[0010] Preferably, each bushing is independently provided or a connecting part is provided between two adjacent bushings.

[0011] Preferably, the shaft includes a housing, an elastic element, and a shaft core. The housing has a cavity and an opening communicating with the cavity. A guide portion is provided inside the cavity. The shaft core is movably disposed inside the cavity through the opening. The shaft core is provided with a guide post that slides with the guide portion. The elastic element is sleeved on the guide portion. The upper end of the elastic element is connected to the guide post, and the lower end of the elastic element abuts against the bottom of the cavity.

[0012] Preferably, at least one side of the circuit board is provided with a soft adhesive.

[0013] Preferably, the soft adhesive includes multiple adhesive portions, and the multiple adhesive portions and the multiple shafts are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0014] Preferably, the circuit board is a PCB circuit board or an FPC circuit board.

[0015] Compared with existing technologies, the bushing of the present invention, by setting a sleeve body, fits onto the outside of the switch body through a square hole. The upper edge of the sleeve body extends inward to form a boss, and the lower end of the sleeve body has a locking part. The bushing engages with the switch body through the boss and with the circuit board through the locking part, thereby realizing the installation of the bushing. In practical applications, the bushing of the present invention can directly replace the fixed middle plate for positioning the switch body. The switch body can be directly positioned by the bushing, eliminating the need for a fixed middle plate and multiple switch bodies for positioning on the circuit board. Because the fixed middle plate is eliminated, the cavity between the circuit board and the original fixed middle plate disappears, thus reducing the likelihood of cavity noise during keyboard use, improving the user experience. Furthermore, the elimination of the fixed middle plate effectively avoids damage to the mechanical switches caused by the mismatch between the elastic deformation of the fixed middle plate and the elastic deformation of the keyboard's circuit board, effectively ensuring the overall consistency of the keyboard and extending its service life.

[0016] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the keyboard structure of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the bushing of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 3 This is another structural schematic diagram of the bushing of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 4 This is another structural schematic diagram of the bushing of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the soft adhesive of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A magnified structural diagram of point A in the middle.

[0024] Figure 7 This is another structural schematic diagram of the bushing of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 8 For Figure 7 A magnified structural diagram at point B in the middle.

[0026] Figure 9 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the keyboard of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 10 for Figure 9 A magnified structural diagram at point C.

[0028] Figure 11 This is another structural schematic diagram of the soft adhesive of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the circuit board structure of the present invention.

[0030] Figure label:

[0031] 100. Keyboard;

[0032] 10. Bushing; 11. Sleeve body; 111. Square hole; 12. Boss; 13. Engaging part; 131. Snap-fit; 14. Positioning part;

[0033] 20. Circuit board; 201. Through hole; 21. Soft glue; 211. Glue part; 212. First clearance hole; 22. First plate; 23. Second plate; 24. Second clearance hole; 25. Second bayonet; 26. Positioning hole;

[0034] 30. Shaft body; 31. Housing; 311. First housing; 312. Second housing; 32. Elastic element; 33. Shaft core; 331. Guide post; 34. Cavity; 35. Opening; 36. Guide part; 37. Insertion part; 38. Limiting part; 39. First bayonet;

[0035] 40. Keycaps;

[0036] 50. Connecting parts. Detailed Implementation

[0037] If certain terms are used in the specification and claims to refer to specific components, those skilled in the art will understand that hardware manufacturers may use different names to refer to the same component. This specification and claims do not distinguish components based on differences in name, but rather on differences in function. The term "comprising" as used throughout the specification and claims is an open-ended term and should be interpreted as "comprising but not limited to." "Approximately" means that within an acceptable margin of error, those skilled in the art can solve the technical problem and substantially achieve the technical effect within a certain margin of error.

[0038] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be interpreted as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0039] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0040] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figures 1-11 The present invention will be described in further detail, but this is not intended to limit the invention.

[0041] Example 1

[0042] Please see Figures 1-5 The bushing 10 of this embodiment includes a sleeve body 11, the sleeve body 11 having a square hole 111 for mounting a shaft 30, the upper edge of the sleeve body 11 extending inward to form a boss 12 for engaging with the shaft 30, and the lower end of the sleeve body 11 having a engaging portion 13 for engaging with a circuit board 20.

[0043] Compared with the prior art, the bushing 10 of this embodiment of the invention, by setting a sleeve body 11, which is sleeved on the outside of the shaft 30 through a square hole 111, has a boss 12 extending inward from the upper edge of the sleeve body 11, and a locking part 13 at the lower end of the sleeve body 11, the bushing 10 is locked to the shaft 30 through the boss 12 and to the circuit board 20 through the locking part 13, thereby realizing the installation of the bushing 10. In practical applications, the bushing 10 of this invention can directly replace the fixed middle plate for positioning the shaft 30, and the shaft 30 can be directly positioned by the bushing 10, eliminating the need for a fixed middle plate and multiple shafts 30 for positioning on the circuit board 20. Because the fixed middle plate is eliminated, the cavity between the circuit board 20 and the original fixed middle plate disappears, which makes it less likely for cavity sounds to form during the use of the keyboard 100, thereby reducing noise and improving the user experience. In addition, the elimination of the fixed middle plate effectively avoids damage to the mechanical switches 30 caused by the mismatch between the elastic deformation of the fixed middle plate and the elastic deformation of the circuit board 20 of the keyboard 100, thus effectively ensuring the overall consistency of the keyboard 100 and extending its service life.

[0044] It should be noted that the shaft body 30 is provided with a first snap-fit ​​39 that engages with the boss 12. The bushing 10 and the shaft body 30 can be installed by engaging the boss 12 and the first snap-fit ​​39. At the same time, the snap-fit ​​method facilitates the disassembly and installation of the bushing 10.

[0045] In this embodiment, the engaging portion 13 includes at least two latches 131. By providing at least two latches 131, the circuit board 20 is provided with a second latch 25 that engages with the latches 131. The bushing 10 and the circuit board 20 can be engaged through the latches 131 and the second latch 25 to achieve the installation of the bushing 10. At the same time, the snap-fit ​​method facilitates the disassembly and installation of the bushing 10.

[0046] Specifically, the number of clips 131 can be set according to actual needs. For example, clips 131 can be set to two, four, or eight, etc.

[0047] When there are two buckles 131, one of the two buckles 131 is located on one side of the sleeve 11 and the other is located on the other side of the sleeve 11.

[0048] When there are four buckles 131, the four buckles 131 can be arranged at equal intervals around the sleeve 11, or the four buckles 131 can be divided into two groups, with one group of buckles 131 set on one side of the sleeve 11 and the other group set on the other side of the sleeve 11.

[0049] When there are eight buckles 131, they can be divided into two groups. One group of buckles 131 is set on one side of the sleeve body 11 and the other group is set on the other side of the sleeve body 11. Alternatively, the eight buckles 131 can be divided into four groups, with the four groups of buckles 131 arranged at equal intervals around the sleeve body 11.

[0050] In this embodiment, the lower end of the sleeve 11 has a positioning part 14. By providing the positioning part 14, the circuit board 20 has a positioning hole 26 corresponding to the positioning part 14. The bushing 10 and the circuit board 20 can be positioned and engaged by the positioning part 14 and the positioning hole 26. The positioning part 14 is located in the positioning hole 26, thereby realizing the positioning and installation of the bushing 10 and the circuit board 20.

[0051] It should be noted that the number of positioning units 14 can be set according to actual needs. For example, the positioning units 14 can be set to two, four, or eight, etc.

[0052] It should be noted that the bushing 10 can be made of metal or plastic.

[0053] Example 2

[0054] Please see Figures 1-5 , Figures 8-10 The keyboard 100 of this embodiment includes the bushing 10 of embodiment one.

[0055] Compared with the prior art, the keyboard 100 of this embodiment adopts the bushing 10 of Embodiment 1. The bushing 10 is sleeved on the outside of the switch body 30. The bushing 10 is engaged with the switch body 30 through the boss 12 and with the circuit board 20 through the engaging part 13, thereby realizing the installation of the bushing 10. In practical application, the bushing 10 of this invention can directly replace the fixed middle plate for positioning the switch body 30. The switch body 30 can be directly positioned by the bushing 10, and there is no need to set a fixed middle plate on the circuit board 20 for positioning the switch body 30. Since the fixed middle plate is eliminated, the cavity between the circuit board 20 and the original fixed middle plate is eliminated, which makes it less likely to form cavity sound during the use of the keyboard 100, thereby reducing noise and improving the user experience. Moreover, because the fixed middle plate is eliminated, it effectively avoids damage to the mechanical switch body 30 due to the inconsistency between the elastic deformation of the fixed middle plate and the elastic deformation of the circuit board 20 of the keyboard 100, effectively ensuring the overall consistency of the keyboard 100 and extending the service life of the keyboard 100.

[0056] In this embodiment, the keyboard 100 further includes a circuit board 20, switches 30, and keycaps 40. Both the switches 30 and the switch sleeves 10 are mounted on the circuit board 20. Multiple switches 30 and switch sleeves 10 are provided, with each switch 30 and switch sleeve 10 corresponding to the others. The keycaps 40 are mounted on the switches 30. By providing multiple switch sleeves 10 and multiple switches 30, and ensuring a one-to-one correspondence, each switch 30 can be directly positioned by its corresponding switch sleeve 10. This eliminates the need for a fixed middle plate on the circuit board 20 for positioning multiple switches 30, thus reducing the likelihood of hollow sounds during keyboard use and improving the user experience. Simultaneously, the keycaps 40 are located on the upper end of the switches 30, allowing the switches 30 to be pressed during keyboard use.

[0057] Specifically, the lower end of the shaft 30 is provided with an insertion part 37, which passes through the through hole 201 of the circuit board 20. The shaft 30 can be installed on the circuit board 20 through the cooperation of the insertion part 37 and the through hole 201. The structure is simple and the installation is convenient.

[0058] Further, the shaft 30 includes a housing 31, an elastic element 32, and a shaft core 33. The housing 31 contains a cavity 34 and an opening 35 communicating with the cavity 34. A guide portion 36 is provided within the cavity 34. The shaft core 33 is movably disposed within the cavity 34 through the opening 35. The shaft core 33 is provided with a guide post 331 that slides with the guide post 36. The elastic element 32 is sleeved on the guide post 36. The upper end of the elastic element 32 is connected to the guide post 331, and the lower end of the elastic element 32 abuts against the bottom of the cavity 34. In actual use, the elastic element 32 can buffer the shaft core 33 through elastic deformation and also assist the shaft core 33 in resetting. Through the cooperative use of the guide post 331 and the guide portion 36, the movement direction of the shaft core 33 is effectively limited, preventing the shaft core 33 from deviating during movement.

[0059] It should be noted that the elastic element 32 is an elastic element such as a spring, torsion spring, or sheet.

[0060] Specifically, the housing 31 includes a first housing 311 and a second housing 312. The first housing 311 is disposed on the second housing 312. The cavity 34 is located between the first housing 311 and the second housing 312. The opening 35 is disposed on the first housing 311. The guide portion 36 is disposed on the second housing 312.

[0061] In this embodiment, at least one side of the circuit board 20 is provided with soft adhesive 21. By providing soft adhesive 21, which is disposed on at least one side of the circuit board 20, the shaft 30 can be damped and silenced when pressed during actual use.

[0062] It should be noted that the soft rubber 21 is partially housed in the through hole 201 and fills the gap formed between the through hole 201 and the through part 37, effectively eliminating the assembly tolerance between the shaft 30 and the circuit board 20, and effectively preventing the shaft 30 from loosening due to tolerance.

[0063] It should be noted that the soft rubber 21 is provided with a first clearance hole 212 corresponding to the positioning hole 26. The positioning part 14 of the bushing 10 can pass through the first clearance hole 212 and be set in the positioning hole 26 to realize the positioning and installation of the bushing 10 and the circuit board 20.

[0064] In this embodiment, the circuit board 20 is a PCB circuit board.

[0065] It should be noted that the shaft 30 can be installed or removed by hot-swapping, and the bushing 10 can assist in the positioning of the shaft 30 to ensure the installation effect of the shaft 30.

[0066] Example 3

[0067] The difference from Example 2 is:

[0068] Please see Figure 4 In this embodiment, the bushing and the soft rubber are integrally molded.

[0069] Example 4

[0070] The difference from Example 2 is:

[0071] Please see Figures 7-8 In this embodiment, each bushing 10 is independently provided or a connecting part 50 is connected between two adjacent bushings 10. By providing the connecting part 50, the connecting part 50 is used to connect two adjacent bushings 10, effectively forming a weak connection between the two adjacent bushings 10, effectively connecting multiple bushings 10 into a whole, which facilitates the assembly of the keyboard 100.

[0072] Example 5

[0073] The difference from Example 2 is:

[0074] Please see Figure 11In this embodiment, the soft adhesive 21 includes multiple adhesive portions 211, and each of the multiple adhesive portions 211 corresponds to one of the multiple shafts 30. By providing multiple adhesive portions 211, and each of the multiple adhesive portions 211 corresponding to one of the multiple shafts 30, the number of adhesive portions 211 can be adjusted according to the actual number of shafts 30. This ensures that the shafts 30 can be damped and silenced while also saving on the amount of soft adhesive 21 material used.

[0075] It should be noted that the colloid part and the bushing can be separate structures or integrally molded structures.

[0076] Example 6

[0077] The difference from Example 2 is:

[0078] Please see Figure 12 In this embodiment, the circuit board 20 is an FPC circuit board.

[0079] During use, the rigidity and poor elasticity of PCB circuit boards result in a poor typing experience. Therefore, circuit board 20 is replaced with an FPC circuit board. FPC circuit boards are characterized by high wiring density, light weight, and thinness. Compared to PCB circuit boards, FPC circuit boards have a certain degree of flexibility and elasticity, providing a cushioning effect during typing and thus improving the typing experience.

[0080] It should be noted that a first plate 22 is provided on the upper side of the FPC circuit board, and a second plate 23 is provided on the lower side of the FPC circuit board. The first plate 22 and the second plate 23 protect the FPC circuit board. At the same time, the first plate 22 and the second plate 23 both have elasticity and a certain cushioning effect, which improves typing comfort.

[0081] Specifically, both the first plate 22 and the second plate 23 have a second clearance hole 24. The second clearance hole 24 can be used to assist in the installation of the shaft 30 and the bushing 10. At the same time, the buckle 131 of the bushing 10 can be used to engage with the second clearance hole 24 of the second plate 23, effectively preventing the buckle 131 from directly contacting the FPC circuit board and causing damage to the FPC circuit board.

[0082] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the invention. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered in all respects as exemplary and non-limiting, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, it is intended that all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims be included within the present invention.

Claims

1. A keyboard, characterized in that, The device includes a bushing (10), a circuit board (20), a switch body (30), and a keycap (40). The switch body (30) and the bushing (10) are both disposed on the circuit board (20). There are multiple switches (30) and multiple bushings (10), and multiple switches (30) and multiple bushings (10) are disposed in a one-to-one correspondence. The keycap (40) is disposed on the switch body (30). The bushing (10) includes a sleeve (11), the sleeve (11) having a square hole (111) for mounting a shaft (30), the upper edge of the sleeve (11) extending inward to form a boss (12), the boss (12) for engaging with the shaft (30), the lower end of the sleeve (11) having a engaging part (13) for engaging with a circuit board (20), the bushing (10) engaging with the circuit board (20) through the engaging part (13) to replace the fixing plate for positioning the shaft (30); The lower end of the sleeve (11) has a positioning part (14).

2. The keyboard as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The engaging part (13) includes at least two latches (131).

3. The keyboard as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Each bushing (10) is independently provided or a connecting part (50) is connected between two adjacent bushings (10).

4. The keyboard as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The shaft (30) includes a housing (31), an elastic element (32), and a shaft core (33). The housing (31) has a cavity (34) and an opening (35) communicating with the cavity (34). A guide portion (36) is provided in the cavity (34). The shaft core (33) is movably disposed in the cavity (34) through the opening (35). The shaft core (33) is provided with a guide post (331) that slides with the guide portion (36). The elastic element (32) is sleeved on the guide portion (36). The upper end of the elastic element (32) is connected to the guide post (331), and the lower end of the elastic element (32) abuts against the bottom of the cavity (34).

5. The keyboard as described in claim 1, characterized in that, At least one side of the circuit board (20) is provided with soft adhesive (21).

6. The keyboard as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The soft adhesive (21) includes a plurality of adhesive portions (211), and the plurality of adhesive portions (211) and the plurality of shafts (30) are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence.

7. The keyboard as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The circuit board (20) is a PCB circuit board or an FPC circuit board.

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