Keyboard of electronic device and electronic device

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of keyboards, in particular to a keyboard of an electronic device and the electronic device. The keyboard comprises a support plate, the support plate being provided with a connecting hole; a circuit board, the circuit board being arranged on one side of the support plate; a hinge, the hinge being connected to the side of the support plate far from the circuit board; a dome support, the dome support being connected to the side of the support plate far from the circuit board; and a keycap, the keycap being connected to the hinge, and the hinge being capable of driving the keycap to move between an unpressed position and a pressed position; wherein the dome support is integrally formed with the support plate, the dome support is formed in the connecting hole, and when the keycap is pressed, part of the dome support can be pushed to pass through the connecting hole and contact the circuit board. By arranging the connecting hole on the support plate, the dome support is formed at the connecting hole position of the support plate, the overall thickness of the keyboard is reduced, meanwhile, the key stroke of the keyboard can be ensured not to change, and the user's use feeling can be ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of keyboard technology, and more particularly to a keyboard for an electronic device and the electronic device itself. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, with the increasing demand for mobile office work, laptops have also been moving towards thinner and lighter designs. In addition to size, the thickness has also been continuously reduced, which has led to a compression of the keyboard stack thickness. The result of continuously compressing the keyboard thickness is a sacrifice of keyboard experience, especially the key travel, which is a key parameter that is most directly affected. How to maintain the competitiveness of laptops in terms of thinness and lightness while maintaining the keyboard feel is a greater challenge.

[0003] The current design of membrane keyboards typically uses silicone as the material to provide the tactile feedback. The silicone is designed and manufactured in a dome shape to provide the tactile feedback when pressing the keys. The dome silicone cap is usually fixed in position by the membrane. The thickness of the bottom part of the dome silicone cap and the membrane itself will increase the overall thickness of the keyboard. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a keyboard for an electronic device and an electronic device, which aims to reduce the thickness of the keyboard.

[0005] This application provides a keyboard for an electronic device, the keyboard comprising:

[0006] Support plate, wherein the support plate is provided with connecting holes;

[0007] A circuit board, wherein the circuit board is disposed on one side of the support plate;

[0008] A hinge, the hinge being connected to the side of the support plate away from the circuit board;

[0009] A dome support member, the dome support member being connected to the support plate on the side away from the circuit board;

[0010] A keycap, which is connected to the hinge, and the hinge is capable of moving the keycap between an unpressed position and a pressed position;

[0011] The dome support is integrally formed with the support plate and is formed inside the connection hole. When the keycap is pressed, it can push part of the dome support through the connection hole to contact the circuit board.

[0012] In this application, during keyboard assembly, the dome support and support plate are first formed to fix the dome support and support plate. Then, the circuit board is placed on the side of the support plate opposite to the dome support, the hinge is installed on the support plate, and the keycaps are installed on the hinge. The keycaps are positioned above the hinge and the dome support to provide a pressing surface for the user. The hinge supports the keycaps and can move the keycaps between the unpressed and pressed positions. The dome support provides the user with a key feel, and when the keycap is pressed to the pressed position, the dome support can contact the circuit board, enabling the keycap to conduct to the corresponding circuit line on the circuit board. The support plate supports the overall keyboard structure, and the circuit board provides the key functions of each keycap and the LCD light source on the keyboard. By setting connection holes on the support plate, the dome support is formed at the connection hole position of the support plate, reducing the overall thickness of the keyboard while ensuring that the key travel does not change, thus ensuring a good user experience.

[0013] By placing the circuit board on the side of the support plate opposite to the dome support member, compared to placing the circuit board between the support plate and the dome support member in the prior art, the circuit board will not deform due to excessive molding temperature when the dome support member and the support plate are formed.

[0014] The circuit board can be replaced with a flexible film containing circuit lines. The hinge can be a scissor hinge or a butterfly hinge.

[0015] In one possible design, the dome support and the support plate are integrally formed by low-temperature encapsulation injection molding.

[0016] In this application, the support plate can be made of metal. When molding the dome support and the support plate, the support plate is first placed in the mold, and then liquid silicone is poured into the mold, causing the liquid silicone to solidify into a dome support, which is then integrated with the support plate into a single structure. This means that the dome support is manufactured and fixed to the support plate simultaneously. By molding the dome support and the support plate as a single unit, the steps required to fix the dome support and the support plate are reduced, saving keyboard assembly time and ensuring the stability of the connection between the dome support and the support plate.

[0017] In one possible design, the support plate is provided with a plurality of first connecting parts, which are located on the sidewall of the connecting hole and are evenly distributed along the circumference of the connecting hole.

[0018] The dome support is provided with a second connecting portion, which covers the outer periphery of a plurality of first connecting portions.

[0019] In this application, multiple first connecting portions are evenly distributed along the inner wall of the connecting hole, and each first connecting portion extends towards the center of the hole. A recess is provided between adjacent first connecting portions. When the dome support is combined with the support plate, the second connecting portion (the bottom of the dome support) covers each first connecting portion and fills each recess, thus combining the dome support with the support plate. By providing the first connecting portions, the mating surface between the dome support and the support plate is increased, ensuring a stable connection between the dome support and the support plate.

[0020] In one possible design, the dome support is further provided with an exhaust port for discharging gas from the dome support.

[0021] In this application, the vent is connected to the inner cavity of the dome support and the external environment where the dome support is located, so that when the dome support is pressed, the gas inside it can be discharged through the vent, ensuring the feel of the keyboard.

[0022] In one possible design, the circuit board is provided with a vent hole for discharging gas from the dome support.

[0023] The vent is located within the area covered by the dome support on the circuit board.

[0024] The vent connects the inner cavity of the dome support to the external environment of the circuit board, allowing the gas inside the dome support to be released through the vent when it is pressed, thus ensuring the keyboard's tactile feel and extending its lifespan.

[0025] In one possible design, the dome support is provided with a pressing part that abuts against the keycap.

[0026] In this application, the keycap is pressed directly against the pressing part while being pressed, providing a comfortable experience for the user the moment they press the keyboard. The dome support also has a middle section that connects the second connecting part and the pressing part, and the vent can be located in the middle section.

[0027] In one possible design, the dome support is further provided with a contact portion that protrudes along the pressing portion toward the circuit board;

[0028] The contact portion is used to contact the circuit board.

[0029] In this application, pressing the keycap pushes the contact part to contact the circuit board through the pressing part, so that the dome support is connected to the corresponding line on the circuit board, thereby realizing the function corresponding to the keycap.

[0030] In one possible design, the dome support is made of silicone, and after the dome support is released from pressure, it can return to its initial position through its own elasticity.

[0031] In this application, the dome support is a dome silicone cap. When the dome support is pressed by the keycap, it can squeeze part of the dome support towards the circuit board, so that part of the dome support contacts the circuit board; after the pressure on the dome support is released, the dome support can return to its initial position through its own elasticity, ready for subsequent use.

[0032] In one possible design, the support plate is provided with a connecting protrusion, the hinge is connected to the connecting protrusion, and is movable along the connecting protrusion.

[0033] In this application, the hinge is a scissor hinge. The support plate has four connecting protrusions, and the four ends of the hinge are respectively connected to the four connecting protrusions. The connecting protrusions are provided with limiting parts, which can prevent the hinge from detaching from the support plate during movement. The connecting protrusions are located on the outer periphery of the connecting holes. The connecting protrusions are cut from the support plate, and one end of the connecting protrusion is not completely cut off.

[0034] This application also provides an electronic device, the electronic device comprising:

[0035] monitor;

[0036] A keyboard, wherein the display is electrically connected to the keyboard, and the keyboard is the keyboard described above.

[0037] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are merely exemplary and do not limit this application. Attached Figure Description

[0038] Figure 1 An exploded view of the keyboard provided in this application;

[0039] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the keyboard provided in this application;

[0040] Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of the dome support and support plate provided in this application;

[0041] Figure 4 This is a structural schematic diagram of the dome support provided in this application;

[0042] Figure 5 This is a structural schematic diagram of the support plate provided in this application.

[0043] Figure label:

[0044] 1-Keyboard, 11-Support plate, 111-Connecting hole, 112-First connecting part, 113-Connecting protrusion, 12-Circuit board, 13-Hinge, 14-Dome support, 141-Second connecting part, 142-Ventilation hole, 143-Pressing part, 144-Contact part, 145-Middle part, 15-Keycap.

[0045] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0046] To better understand the technical solution of this application, the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0047] In one specific embodiment, the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0048] This embodiment provides an electronic device, which includes a display and a keyboard 1, with the display and keyboard 1 electrically connected. The electronic device can be a laptop, desktop computer, tablet with an external keyboard 1, or any product or device that requires keys.

[0049] Specifically, such as Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the keyboard 1 includes a support plate 11, a circuit board 12, a hinge 13, a dome support 14, and keycaps 15. The support plate 11 has a connection hole 111; the dome support 14 is integrally formed with the support plate 11, and the circuit board 12 is disposed on one side of the support plate 11; the hinge 13 is connected to the side of the support plate 11 away from the circuit board 12; the dome support 14 is connected to the side of the support plate 11 away from the circuit board 12; the keycaps 15 are connected to the hinge 13, and the hinge 13 can drive the keycaps 15 to move between an unpressed position and a pressed position; the dome support 14 is formed in the connection hole 111, and when the keycaps 15 are pressed, a portion of the dome support 14 can be pushed through the connection hole 111 to contact the circuit board 12.

[0050] In this embodiment, during keyboard assembly, the dome support 14 and the support plate 11 are first formed to fix the dome support 14 and the support plate 11. Then, the circuit board 12 is placed on the side of the support plate 11 facing away from the dome support 14. The hinge 13 is installed on the support plate 11, and the keycaps 15 are installed on the hinge 13. The keycaps 15 are positioned above the hinge 13 and the dome support 14 to provide a pressing surface for the user. The hinge 13 supports the keycaps 15 and can move the keycaps 15 between the unpressed position and the pressed position. The dome support 14 provides the user with a key feel, and when the keycaps 15 are pressed to the pressed position, the dome support 14 can contact the circuit board 12, enabling the keycaps 15 to conduct to the corresponding circuit lines in the circuit board 12. The support plate 11 supports the overall structure of the keyboard 1, and the circuit board 12 provides the key functions of each keycap 15 and the LCD light source on the keyboard 1. By setting a connection hole 111 on the support plate 11, the dome support 14 is formed at the connection hole 111 position of the support plate 11, which reduces the overall thickness of the keyboard 1, while ensuring that the key travel of the keyboard 1 does not change, thus ensuring the user's typing experience.

[0051] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the circuit board 12 is placed on the side of the support plate 11 that is away from the dome support member 14. Compared with the prior art, which places the circuit board 12 between the support plate 11 and the dome support member 14, the circuit board 12 will not deform due to excessive molding temperature when the dome support member 14 and the support plate 11 are formed.

[0052] The circuit board 12 can be replaced with a flexible film containing circuit lines. The hinge 13 can be a scissor hinge or a butterfly hinge.

[0053] Specifically, the dome support 14 is made of silicone, that is, the dome support 14 is a dome silicone cap. After the dome support 14 is pressed by the keycap 15, it can squeeze part of the dome support 14 to move closer to the circuit board 12, so that part of the dome support 14 contacts the circuit board 12; after the pressure on the dome support 14 is released, the dome support 14 can return to its initial position through its own elasticity, ready for subsequent use.

[0054] The dome support 14 and the support plate 11 are integrally formed by low-temperature encapsulation injection molding process.

[0055] In this embodiment, the support plate 11 can be made of metal. When the dome support 14 and the support plate 11 are formed, the support plate 11 is first placed in the mold, and then liquid silicone is introduced into the mold, causing the liquid silicone to form the dome support 14, which is then integrated with the support plate 11 into a single structure. That is, while making the dome support 14, the dome support 14 is also fixed to the support plate 11. By integrally forming the dome support 14 and the support plate 11, the steps required to fix the dome support 14 and the support plate 11 are reduced, saving assembly time for the keyboard 1 and ensuring the connection stability between the dome support 14 and the support plate 11.

[0056] like Figures 3 to 5 As shown, in order to ensure that the support plate 11 and the dome support member 14 are stably connected, the support plate 11 is provided with a plurality of first connecting parts 112, which are located on the side wall of the connecting hole 111 and are evenly distributed along the circumference of the connecting hole 111; the dome support member 14 is provided with a second connecting part 141, which covers the outer periphery of the plurality of first connecting parts 112.

[0057] In this embodiment, multiple first connecting portions 112 are evenly distributed along the inner sidewall of the connecting hole 111, and each first connecting portion 112 extends towards the center of the hole. A recess is provided between adjacent first connecting portions 112. When the dome support 14 is combined with the support plate 11, the second connecting portion 141 (the bottom of the dome support 14) covers each first connecting portion 112 and fills each recess, thus combining the dome support 14 with the support plate 11. By providing the first connecting portions 112, the contact surface between the dome support 14 and the support plate 11 is increased, ensuring a stable connection between the dome support 14 and the support plate 11.

[0058] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, since the connection between the dome support 14 and the support plate 11 is sealed after they are combined, the internal gas cannot escape when the dome support 14 is pressed. To ensure the keyboard 1 functions properly, it requires force to press, affecting the tactile feel of the keyboard 1. Therefore, the dome support 14 is also provided with an exhaust hole 142 to expel the gas inside the dome support 14. This exhaust hole 142 connects the inner cavity of the dome support 14 with the external environment, allowing the gas inside the dome support 14 to escape along the exhaust hole 142 when it is pressed, thus ensuring the tactile feel of the keyboard 1.

[0059] Alternatively, the circuit board 12 is provided with a vent 142 for venting gas from the dome support 14; the vent 142 is located in the area covered by the dome support 14 on the circuit board 12. The vent 142 connects the inner cavity of the dome support 14 with the external environment of the circuit board 12, so that when the dome support 14 is pressed, the gas inside it can be discharged along the vent 142, ensuring the tactile feel of the keyboard 1 and extending the service life of the keyboard 1.

[0060] like Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, in one possible design, the dome support 14 is provided with a pressing part 413, which abuts against the keycap 15, so that when the keycap 15 is pressed, the keycap 15 directly presses the pressing part 413, giving the user a comfortable experience the moment they press the keyboard 1. The dome support 14 is also provided with a middle part 145, which connects the second connecting part 141 and the pressing part 413, and the vent 142 can be located in the middle part 145.

[0061] like Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the dome support 14 is also provided with a contact portion 144, which protrudes along the pressing portion 413 toward the circuit board 12; the contact portion 144 is used to contact the circuit board 12. When the keycap 15 is pressed, the keycap 15 pushes the contact portion 144 to contact the circuit board 12 through the pressing portion 413, so that the dome support 14 and the corresponding line on the circuit board 12 are connected, and the function corresponding to the keycap 15 is realized.

[0062] like Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the support plate 11 has connecting protrusions 113, and the hinge 13 is connected to the connecting protrusions 113 and can move along the connecting protrusions 113. The hinge 13 is a scissor hinge 13. The support plate 11 has four connecting protrusions 113, and the four ends of the hinge 13 are respectively connected to the four connecting protrusions 113. The connecting protrusions 113 are provided with limiting parts, which can prevent the hinge 13 from detaching from the support plate 11 during movement. The connecting protrusions 113 are located on the outer periphery of the connecting holes 111. The connecting protrusions 113 are cut from the support plate 11, and one end of the connecting protrusions 113 is not completely cut off.

[0063] It should be noted that a portion of this patent application contains copyrighted material. The copyright holder retains all rights except for making copies of the contents of patent documents or records from the patent office.

Claims

1. A keyboard for an electronic device, characterized in that, The keyboard includes: Support plate, wherein the support plate is provided with connecting holes; A circuit board, wherein the circuit board is disposed on one side of the support plate; A hinge, the hinge being connected to the side of the support plate away from the circuit board; A dome support member, the dome support member being connected to the support plate on the side away from the circuit board; A keycap, which is connected to the hinge, and the hinge is capable of moving the keycap between an unpressed position and a pressed position; The dome support is integrally formed with the support plate and is formed in the connection hole. When the keycap is pressed, it can push part of the dome support through the connection hole to contact the circuit board. The support plate is provided with a plurality of first connecting parts, which are located on the side wall of the connecting hole and are evenly distributed along the circumference of the connecting hole. Each first connecting part extends toward the center of the connecting hole, and a recess is provided between adjacent first connecting parts. The dome support is provided with a second connecting portion, which covers the outer periphery of a plurality of first connecting portions and fills the recessed portion.

2. The keyboard of the electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The dome support and the support plate are integrally formed by low-temperature encapsulation injection molding.

3. The keyboard of the electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The dome support is also provided with an exhaust port, which is used to discharge the gas inside the dome support.

4. The keyboard of the electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The circuit board is provided with a vent hole, which is used to discharge gas from the dome support. The vent is located within the area covered by the dome support on the circuit board.

5. The keyboard of the electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The dome support is provided with a pressing part, which abuts against the keycap.

6. The keyboard of the electronic device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The dome support also has a contact portion, which protrudes along the pressing portion toward the circuit board. The contact portion is used to contact the circuit board.

7. The keyboard of the electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The dome support is made of silicone. After the dome support is released from pressure, it can return to its initial position through its own elasticity.

8. The keyboard of the electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The support plate is provided with a connecting protrusion, and the hinge is connected to the connecting protrusion and can move along the connecting protrusion.

9. An electronic device, characterized in that, The electronic device includes: monitor; A keyboard, wherein the display is electrically connected to the keyboard, and the keyboard is the keyboard according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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