Key structure

Abstract

The invention relates to a key structure. The key structure comprises a key cap, a bottom plate, a supporting mechanism, an actuating part, a return element and a sound production unit, the supporting mechanism is connected between the keycap and the bottom plate and comprises a first bracket and a second bracket which are pivoted with each other, and the first bracket is provided with a shaft hole to define a coupling shaft so as to be rotatably coupled with the keycap; the actuating part is arranged on the key cap or the first support. The restoring element provides restoring force to drive the keycap to move away from the bottom plate; the sounding unit comprises a sounding piece and a supporting seat, and the sounding piece is arranged on the supporting seat and provided with an extension arm corresponding to the hit part of the supporting seat. In a plan view, the extension arm is located on the inner side of the first support and located on the outer side of the inner edge of the shaft hole. When the key cap moves towards the bottom plate to drive the supporting mechanism to move, the actuating part presses the extension arm downwards, and the extension arm breaks away from the pressing of the actuating part and rebounds upwards to impact the hit part so as to generate sound. According to the invention, not only can sound feedback of pressing be provided, but also each part of the keycap has relatively uniform pressing hand feeling.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a key structure, and in particular to a key structure having a pressing sound and a uniform pressing feel. Background Art

[0002] In the prior art, keyboards have a relatively high key shaft and pressing stroke, and the key housing has sufficient structural space to install a torsion spring or a spring as a tactile element and / or a sound element. The key shaft can also be designed with a protruding structure to interfere with the tactile / sound element. However, simply transplanting the tactile / sound element into an ultra-thin key with a relatively low key height will face many technical problems. For example, a key with a scissor-type bracket itself has an elastic recovery element. The structural strength of the original keycap and bracket may not be sufficient to withstand the upward resistance of the elastic recovery element multiplied by the tactile / sound element, and it is easy to deform and bend and cannot accurately transmit the pressure of the user's finger.

[0003] Furthermore, after adding the feel / sound components, the upward resistance on the bottom of the keycap is prone to unevenness, which makes the pressing feel of each corner of the keycap different, and the difference in the driving force of the keycap corners also leads to different triggering points. In addition, if you want to design a scissor-type bracket key with adjustable feel / sound, it means squeezing out additional moving space in the low and thin key space, which is another big test for the component strength of the original ultra-thin key. Summary of the invention

[0004] The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a key structure, which not only provides pressing sound feedback, but also improves the uniformity of the pressing feel.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a key structure, comprising: keycap; A bottom plate, disposed below the key cap; A supporting mechanism connected between the keycap and the base plate, the supporting mechanism comprising a first bracket and a second bracket, the first bracket being pivotally connected to the second bracket, the first bracket having an axial hole to define a coupling shaft, and the coupling shaft being rotatably coupled to the keycap; An actuating portion, disposed on the keycap or the first bracket and extending toward the bottom plate; A restoring element is disposed between the key cap and the base plate to provide a restoring force to drive the key cap to move in a direction away from the base plate; and A sound unit is arranged corresponding to the actuating part, the sound unit comprises a sounding member and a support seat, the support seat has a striking part, the sounding member is arranged on the support seat and has an extension arm, the extension arm extends corresponding to the striking part; Among them, the extension arm is located on the inner side of the first bracket and on the outer side of the inner edge of the axial hole of the first bracket. When the keycap moves toward the base plate to drive the support mechanism to move, the actuating part presses downward against the extension arm, thereby causing the extension arm to break away from the pressure of the actuating part and rebound upward to hit the struck part to produce a sound.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides another key structure, comprising: A key cap having two coupling members; A bottom plate, disposed below the key cap; A supporting mechanism connected between the key cap and the bottom plate, the supporting mechanism comprising a first bracket and a second bracket, the first bracket being pivotally connected to the second bracket; An actuating portion, disposed on the keycap or the first bracket and extending toward the bottom plate; A restoring element is disposed between the key cap and the base plate to provide a restoring force to drive the key cap to move in a direction away from the base plate; and A sound unit is arranged corresponding to the actuating part, the sound unit comprises a sounding member and a support seat, the support seat has a striking part, the sounding member is arranged on the support seat and has an extension arm, the extension arm extends corresponding to the striking part; The extension arm is located in the area defined by the outer edge virtual line and the inner edge virtual line of the two coupling parts, and when the keycap moves toward the base plate to drive the support mechanism to move, the actuating part presses downward against the extension arm, thereby causing the extension arm to break away from the pressure of the actuating part and rebound upward to hit the struck part to produce a sound.

[0007] As an optional technical solution, the first bracket is pivotally connected to the inner side of the second bracket to define a pivot axis, and the restoring element is offset relative to the pivot axis in a direction away from the sound-emitting unit.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides another key structure, comprising: keycap; A bottom plate, disposed below the key cap; A support mechanism connected between the keycap and the base plate, the support mechanism comprising a first bracket and a second bracket, the first bracket being pivotally connected to the second bracket to define a pivot axis; An actuating portion, disposed on the keycap or the first bracket and extending toward the bottom plate; A restoring element is disposed between the key cap and the base plate, offset from the pivot axis, so as to provide a restoring force to drive the key cap to move in a direction away from the base plate; and A sound unit is arranged corresponding to the actuating part, the sound unit comprises a sounding member and a support seat, the support seat has a striking part, the sounding member is arranged on the support seat and has an extension arm, the extension arm extends corresponding to the striking part; When the keycap moves toward the base plate to drive the support mechanism to move, the actuating portion presses downward against the extension arm, so that the extension arm is released from the actuating portion and rebounds upward to hit the struck portion to generate a sound.

[0009] As an optional technical solution, the support seat can be moved relative to the base plate so that the sound-emitting component is selectively located at an interference position or a non-interference position; when the sound-emitting component is located at the interference position, the extension arm is pressed by the actuating part and produces the sound; when the sound-emitting component is located at the non-interference position, the extension arm is not pressed by the actuating part and does not produce the sound.

[0010] As an optional technical solution, the bottom plate has an opening, and the sound-emitting unit further includes an adjustment plate, which is arranged below the bottom plate, and the support seat is arranged on the adjustment plate to protrude from the bottom plate through the opening.

[0011] As an optional technical solution, the base plate has a guide rib, the support seat protrudes from the opening to the base plate and is partially located below the guide rib, so that the guide rib guides the movement of the support seat relative to the base plate.

[0012] As an optional technical solution, the button structure also includes a limit member and a limit slot, wherein the limit member is arranged on one of the base plate and the adjustment plate, and the limit slot is arranged on the other of the base plate and the adjustment plate; when the adjustment plate drives the support seat to move relative to the base plate, the limit member moves relatively in the limit slot.

[0013] As an optional technical solution, the key structure further includes a smooth sheet, wherein the smooth sheet is arranged between the adjustment plate and the bottom plate, and the friction coefficient of the smooth sheet is smaller than the friction coefficient of the adjustment plate.

[0014] As an optional technical solution, the key structure further includes a circuit film, wherein the circuit film has a film hole, the film hole is arranged corresponding to the support seat, and the size of the film hole is twice the bottom area of ​​the support seat.

[0015] In summary, compared with the prior art, the key structure of the present invention comprehensively considers the rebound resistance of the sounding member and the restoring force of the restoring element to design the interference position of the sounding member, so that the key structure can not only provide the sound feedback of pressing, but also make the keycap have a more uniform pressing feel. Furthermore, the key structure of the present invention can be arranged on a movable support seat by the sounding member, so that the movement of the support seat can drive the whole movement of the sounding member, which can not only avoid the deformation of the sounding member during the adjustment process of sounding / no sounding, but also meet the different operation requirements of users.

[0016] The present invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, but is not intended to limit the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of an exploded view of the key structure of the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2A for Figure 1 A plan view of the middle key structure without a keycap.

[0019] Figure 2B To display Figure 1 Simplified schematic diagram of the location of the sound generating parts in the instrument.

[0020] Figure 3 and Figure 4 They are Figure 1 Schematic cross-sectional view of the middle button structure in an unpressed state and a pressed state.

[0021] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the relative positions of the sound unit and the bottom plate of the key structure of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] FIG. 6A to FIG. 6C They are respectively an exploded schematic diagram, an assembled schematic diagram and a bottom-up schematic diagram of a sound-generating unit of a key structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Fig. 7A It is a plan view of a key structure without a key cap according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 7B To display Fig. 7A Simplified schematic diagram of the location of the sound generating parts in the instrument.

[0025] Figure 8 for Fig. 7A A cross-sectional diagram of the middle button structure in an unpressed state.

[0026] Fig. 9 It is a plan view of a key structure without a key cap according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Fig.10 for Fig. 9 A cross-sectional diagram of the middle button structure in an unpressed state.

[0028] Fig.11 FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of a key structure without a key cap according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Fig.12 for Fig.11 A cross-sectional diagram of the middle button structure in an unpressed state.

[0030] Fig.13 FIG. 1 is a plan view of a key structure without a key cap according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Fig.14 for Fig.13 A cross-sectional diagram of the middle button structure in an unpressed state.

[0032] Fig.15 for Fig.13 Schematic diagram of the top view of the support mechanism and base plate of the middle button structure.

[0033] Fig.16 for Fig.13 A partially enlarged bottom view of the support mechanism and bottom plate of the middle button structure.

[0034] Fig.17A and Fig. 17B Schematic diagram of a limiting member and a limiting groove in different relative positions of a key structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] The present invention provides a key structure, in particular a key structure that can provide pressing sound and uniform pressing feel. Specifically, the key structure of the present invention can be applied to an independent keyboard device or integrated into an electronic product to provide pressing sound feedback and uniform pressing feel, but is not limited thereto.

[0036] Please refer to Figures 1 to 4 , Figure 1 is an exploded schematic diagram of the key structure of the first embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2A for Figure 1 A plan view of the middle key structure without a key cap. Figure 2B To display Figure 1 A simplified schematic diagram of the position of the sound generating member in FIG. Figure 3 and Figure 4 They are Figure 1 A cross-sectional diagram of the middle button structure in the unpressed state and the pressed state. Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the key structure 1 includes a key cap 10 , a base plate 20 , a supporting mechanism 30 , a restoring element 40 and a sound unit 50 .

[0037] Specifically, the keycap 10 may be a rectangular keycap, and the keycap 10 has coupling members 110 and 120 coupled to the support mechanism 30 (or the keycap 10 has a first coupling member 110 and a second coupling member 120 coupled to the support mechanism 30). The first coupling member 110 and the second coupling member 120 extend downward from the lower surface of the keycap 10 and are spaced apart along the Y-axis direction. In this embodiment, the keycap 10 is provided with a pair of first coupling members 110 and a pair of second coupling members 120, but is not limited thereto. For example, the first coupling member 110 may be a coupling structure having an axial hole (e.g., a claw-shaped member), and the two first coupling members 110 are spaced apart along the X-axis direction to couple the first bracket 310 of the support mechanism 30. The second coupling member 120 may be a coupling structure having a sliding groove, and the two second coupling members 120 are spaced apart along the X-axis direction to couple the second bracket 320 of the support mechanism 30. Furthermore, according to actual applications, the keycap can be a light-transmitting keycap with a light-transmitting portion, so as to be applied to an illuminated keyboard. For example, the light-transmitting portion can be in the form of characters to indicate keystroke instructions.

[0038] The bottom plate 20 is disposed below the keycap 10 and can serve as a structural strength support plate for the key structure 1. The bottom plate 20 has a first connecting member 232 and a second connecting member 234 connected to the supporting mechanism 30. In one embodiment, the bottom plate 20 is preferably formed by stamping a metal plate. The first connecting member 232 and the second connecting member 234 are preferably hook-type connecting members that bend and protrude from the surface of the bottom plate 20 toward the keycap 10. The bottom plate 20 also has an opening 210 for accommodating the sound unit 50. In this embodiment, the opening direction of the opening 210 is preferably parallel to the moving direction of the keycap 10, for example, the opening 210 passes through the bottom plate 20 along the Z-axis direction. Furthermore, the bottom plate 20 may have a guide rib 220 to guide the movement of the sound unit 50 relative to the bottom plate 20 and to enhance the structural strength of the bottom plate 20. For example, the guiding rib 220 may be disposed in the opening 210 , and the extending direction of the guiding rib 220 is preferably substantially parallel to the moving direction of the sound unit 50 , such as extending along the Y-axis direction.

[0039] The support mechanism 30 is connected between the keycap 10 and the base plate 20 to support the keycap 10 to move smoothly relative to the base plate 20. The support mechanism 30 may include a first bracket 310 and a second bracket 320. The first bracket 310 is pivoted to the second bracket 320. In this embodiment, the first bracket 310 and the second bracket 320 are preferably implemented as, for example, a rectangular frame of injection molding, and the first bracket 310 is pivoted to the inner side of the second bracket 320 to form a scissor-type support mechanism. From another point of view, since the first bracket 310 is pivoted to the inner side of the second bracket 320, the first bracket 310 and the second bracket 320 can also be referred to as an inner bracket and an outer bracket, respectively. In this embodiment, Figure 2AAs shown in the plan view of , the frame size of the first bracket 310 is preferably smaller than the frame size of the second bracket 320, so that the first bracket 310 can be completely disposed inside the frame of the second bracket 320. In other words, in the Z-axis direction, the first bracket 310 and the second bracket 320 are preferably not overlapped. In one embodiment, the first bracket 310 and the second bracket 320 can be rotatably connected by, for example, a pivot and an axis hole mechanism to define a pivot axis 30a. For example, the pivot axis 30a is a virtual line connecting the pivots of the first bracket 310 and the second bracket 320 on both sides of the X-axis direction. In one embodiment, the pivot axis 30a preferably overlaps with the center line of the keycap 10. For example, the pivot axis 30a extends parallel to the X-axis and overlaps with a virtual line connecting the midpoints of both sides of the keycap 10 in the Y-axis direction (i.e., the Y-axis center line extending parallel to the X-axis), but is not limited thereto.

[0040] The two ends of the first bracket 310 and the second bracket 320 are movably connected to the keycap 10 and the bottom plate 20, respectively. Specifically, the first bracket 310 has a keycap end 310a and a bottom plate end 310b, which can be, for example, two opposite ends of the first bracket 310 in the Y-axis direction. The keycap end 310a of the first bracket 310 is rotatably coupled to the first coupling member 110 of the keycap 10, and the bottom plate end 310b of the first bracket 310 is movably coupled to the first connecting member 232 of the bottom plate 20. Similarly, the second bracket 320 has a keycap end 320a and a bottom plate end 320b, which can be, for example, two opposite ends of the second bracket 320 in the Y-axis direction. The keycap end 320a of the second bracket 320 is movably coupled to the second coupling member 120 of the keycap 10, and the bottom plate end 320b of the second bracket 320 is movably coupled to the second connecting member 234 of the bottom plate 20. Thereby, the support mechanism 30 can stably support the keycap 10 to move up / down relative to the base plate 20. In one embodiment, the first bracket 310 can have an axis hole 312 to define a coupling axis 314. The coupling axis 314 can rotatably couple the first coupling member 110 of the keycap 10 in the form of an axis hole. Specifically, the axis hole 312 is a broken hole set at the keycap end 310a of the first bracket 310, so that the frame edge adjacent to the axis hole 312 forms the coupling axis 314. The axis hole 312 has an inner edge 312I and an outer edge 312O. The inner edge 312I is closer to the pivot axis 30a than the outer edge 312O. From another point of view, the outer edge 312O is farther away from the center of the keycap 10 than the inner edge 312I, or the outer edge 312O is closer to the outer side of the keycap end 310a of the first bracket 310 than the inner edge 312I. In one embodiment, the size of the shaft hole 312 (e.g., the distance between the inner edge 312I and the outer edge 312O) preferably corresponds to the size of the first coupling member 110, so that when the first coupling member 110 is to be rotatably coupled with the coupling shaft 314, the shaft hole 312 can allow the first coupling member 110 to partially extend into the shaft hole 312, so that the coupling shaft 314 is rotatably engaged with the shaft hole of the first coupling member 110. Taking the first coupling member 110 of a claw-shaped member as an example, the size of the shaft hole 312 preferably allows the claw portion of the first coupling member 110 to extend into the shaft hole to grasp the coupling shaft 314.

[0041] Furthermore, the first bracket 310 is provided with an actuating portion 330. The actuating portion 330 is disposed on the inner side of the first bracket 310 and extends from the first bracket 310 toward the bottom plate 20. For example, the actuating portion 330 is preferably disposed on the inner side of the keycap end 310a of the first bracket 310. The actuating portion 330 is preferably an angular protrusion extending downward, and the vertex of the angular protrusion is preferably facing the sound unit 50. For example, the actuating portion 330 can be an angular protrusion having a lower inclined surface and an upper inclined surface connected to the vertex, and the vertex is preferably an arc angle and protrudes toward the inner side of the keycap (for example, toward the pivot axis 30a).

[0042] The restoring element 40 is disposed between the keycap 10 and the base plate 20 to provide a restoring force to drive the keycap 10 to move away from the base plate 20. The restoring element 40 can be an elastic body, a spring or a magnetic member to provide a restoring force for the keycap 10 to move away from the base plate 20. In this embodiment, the restoring element 40 is implemented as a dome elastic body and has a trigger portion 420. In one embodiment, the restoring element 40 is preferably disposed in a direction away from the sound unit 50 relative to the pivot axis 30a. Specifically, if Figure 2A As shown, the center 410 (or centroid) of the restoring element 40 and the sound generating unit 50 are preferably located on opposite sides of the pivot axis 30a (or the center line of the key cap 10) in the Y-axis direction, but not limited thereto.

[0043] The sound unit 50 is disposed corresponding to the actuating portion 330 to provide a pressing feel and sound feedback when the key structure 1 is pressed. FIG. 6A to FIG. 6CIn one embodiment, the sound unit 50 includes a support base 510 and a sounding member 520. The sounding member 520 is disposed on the support base 510 and has an extension arm 522. The support base 510 has a striking portion 512. The extension arm 522 extends corresponding to the striking portion 512. Specifically, the sounding member 520 may be a torsion spring, which includes a spring body 524 and an extension arm 522 extending from one end of the spring body 524. The sounding member 520 may also have a positioning portion 526, which may extend from the other end of the spring body 524. For example, the positioning portion 526 and the extension arm 522 are rods extending from opposite ends of the spring body 524. In other words, the extension arm 522 may serve as a movable portion of the sounding member 520, and the spring body 524 and the positioning portion 526 may be regarded as the immovable portion of the sounding member 520. The support base 510 has a positioning mechanism for positioning the sounding member 520. For example, the positioning mechanism may include, for example, a receiving space 514, a positioning block 516, a positioning hole 518, and a positioning groove 519, which are respectively used to accommodate and position the spring body 524, the positioning portion 526, and the extension arm 522. Specifically, the support seat 510 may be a strip-shaped seat body having a receiving space 514 and extending along, for example, the X-axis direction, and the positioning hole 518 is a through hole opened at the bottom of the support seat 510 and connected to the receiving space 514. The positioning block 516 is disposed on a wall defining the receiving space 514 and protrudes toward the receiving space 514. In one embodiment, the positioning block 516 and the positioning hole 518 are preferably located on opposite sides of the receiving space 514 along the Y-axis direction. The positioning groove 519 is disposed on the extension path of the extension arm 522 to limit the lateral movement of the extension arm 522. When the sounding member 520 is disposed in the receiving space 514 of the support base 510, the positioning portion 526 of the sounding member 520 is inserted into the positioning hole 518, the spring body 524 is sleeved on the positioning block 516, and the extension arm 522 extends along the X-axis direction through the positioning slot 519. When the support base 510 is disposed on the bottom plate 20, the extension arm 522 preferably extends parallel to the key cap end 310a of the first bracket 310.

[0044] The striking portion 512 of the support seat 510 is arranged corresponding to the extension arm 522, and has a striking surface 512a and an inclined surface 512b. For example, the striking portion 512 can be a stand arranged on the board surface of the support seat 510, which includes an upright portion extending upward from the board surface of the support seat 510 along the Z-axis direction and a horizontal portion extending from the top of the upright portion along the Y-axis direction, so that the striking portion 512 can have a U-shaped or L-shaped (U-shaped in the figure). The striking portion 512 is arranged on the other side relative to the receiving space 514 corresponding to the positioning hole 518 (or the positioning block 516), so that the horizontal portion of the striking portion 512 is located at the upper end of the extension arm 522 and overlaps with the end (or free end) of the extension arm 522 in the Z-axis direction. The striking surface 512a is the wall surface of the striking portion 512 facing the extension arm 522 in the Z-axis direction (for example, the lower surface of the horizontal portion), so as to serve as the striking surface of the extension arm 522. The inclined surface 512b is disposed on the side of the extension arm 522 relative to the extension direction (e.g., the X-axis direction) of the extension arm 522 to guide the movement of the extension arm 522 in the Z-axis direction. For example, the inclined surface 512b is a wall surface of the striking portion 512 facing the extension arm 522 in the Y-axis direction, such as a surface of the upright portion adjacent to the striking surface 512a, and the inclined surface 512b is preferably inclined from top to bottom toward the pivot axis 30a, that is, inclined in the direction of the center of the keycap.

[0045] In addition, the support base 510 further includes a channel 511 to allow the actuating portion 330 to move in the channel 511 corresponding to the extension arm 522. The channel 511 is preferably opened in the portion of the support base 510 facing the actuating portion 330 corresponding to the extension arm 522, so that the actuating portion 330 can extend into the channel 511 when moving in the Z-axis direction. The channel 511 can be an open through hole or a closed through hole that passes through the plate of the support base 510. In other words, the channel 511 is opened in the plate of the support base 510 and may or may not extend to one side of the support base 510.

[0046] Furthermore, the key structure 1 may further include a switch unit. In this embodiment, the switch unit may be implemented as a circuit film 60 disposed below the elastic body (i.e., the return element 40), and may be located above or below the base plate 20 (above in this embodiment), but not limited thereto. In another embodiment, according to actual applications, the switch unit may be implemented as an optical switch or a mechanical switch, so that the switch unit is triggered to generate a trigger signal by the key cap 10 moving relative to the base plate 20. The circuit film 60 has a switch element 620, and the circuit film 60 may be implemented as a membrane switch with a multi-layer structure, wherein the switch element 620 may be disposed on one or more layers of the membrane switch, and may be triggered by the trigger portion 420 as the key cap 10 moves downward to generate a trigger signal. Furthermore, the circuit film 60 has a membrane hole 610 to at least partially align with the opening 210 of the base plate 20, so as to accommodate the sound unit 50. The film hole 610 of the circuit film 60 is arranged corresponding to the support seat 510, and the size of the film hole 610 is preferably twice the bottom area of ​​the support seat 510 to provide a larger movable space for the support seat 510, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The circuit film 60 may also have a plurality of film holes 630 for the first connecting member 232 and the second connecting member 234 of the bottom plate 20 to pass through.

[0047] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, when the keycap 10 moves toward the base plate 20 to drive the support mechanism 30 to move, the actuating portion 330 presses downward against the extension arm 522, so that the extension arm 522 is released from the pressure of the actuating portion 330 and rebounds upward to hit the struck portion 512 to generate a sound. Specifically, when the keycap 10 is pressed, the keycap 10 drives the support mechanism 30 to move downward and compress the elastic body (i.e., the restoring element 40), and the actuating portion 330 interferes with the extension arm 522 as the support mechanism 30 moves downward. The actuating portion 330 moves toward the channel 511 of the support seat 510 and presses down the extension arm 522, so that the extension arm 522 moves downward along the inclined surface 512b of the struck portion 512 and moves relatively toward the vertex from the lower inclined surface of the actuating portion 330. When the keycap 10 continues to move downward to trigger the switch element 620 of the circuit film 60, the extension arm 522 passes the top of the actuating portion 330 and moves relatively along the upper slope, whereby the extension arm 522 is released and rebounds toward the direction of the striking portion 512 of the support seat 510 (upward), and then hits the striking surface 512a of the striking portion 512 to produce a sound. Afterwards, when the keycap 10 is released (i.e., when the keycap 10 is no longer pressed), the keycap 10 drives the support mechanism 30 to move upward relative to the base plate 20 and return to the position due to the restoring force of the restoring element 40. Figure 3 Pre-compression position shown.

[0048] like Figure 2A and Figure 2BAs shown, in the plan view, the extension arm 522 is preferably located at the inner side of the first bracket 310 and at the outer side of the inner edge 312I of the shaft hole 312 of the first bracket 310. From another point of view, in the plan view, the extension arm 522 is located in the area 311 defined by the outer edge virtual line OL of the outer edges 110a of the two first coupling members 110 and the inner edge virtual line IL of the inner edges 110b of the two first coupling members 110. In this embodiment, since the difference in the position of the coupling shaft 314 and the outermost edge of the key cap end 310a of the first bracket 310 in the Y-axis direction is very small, the extension arm 522 can be regarded as being substantially located between the inner edge 312I and the outer edge 312O of the shaft hole 312 of the first bracket 310. With this design, the sound unit 50 is arranged relatively close to the pivot axis 30a or the center line of the keycap 10, and cooperates with the offset arrangement of the return element 40 (i.e., deviating from the pivot axis 30a or the center line of the keycap 10), so that when the keycap 10 is pressed, the pressing feel of the keycap 10 at the two opposite ends or corners in the Y-axis direction is more balanced. In other words, with the above design, the rebound resistance of the sound member 520 and the restoring force of the return element 40 of the key structure 1 of the present invention are better configured, so that the key structure 1 can not only provide the sound feedback of pressing, but also make the keycap have a relatively uniform pressing feel at all locations.

[0049] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the sound unit 50 also includes an adjustment plate 530. The adjustment plate 530 is disposed below the base plate 20, and the support seat 510 is disposed on the adjustment plate 530 so as to protrude from the opening 210 on the base plate 20. Specifically, the support seat 510 has a coupling portion 515 for coupling with the adjustment plate 530. For example, the coupling portion 515 may be a column or a hook disposed at the bottom of the support seat 510 and extending downward. The adjustment plate 530 extends substantially parallel to the base plate 20 and has a hole corresponding to the coupling portion 515. When the support seat 510 is disposed on the adjustment plate 530, the coupling portion 515 extends into the hole of the adjustment plate 530, thereby positioning the support seat 510 on the adjustment plate 530, but is not limited thereto. The support seat 510 may be coupled to the adjustment plate 530 in any appropriate manner, such as locking, bonding, clamping, etc. When the adjustment plate 530 is disposed below the bottom plate 20, the support base 510 can protrude upward from the opening 210 of the bottom plate 20 toward the key cap 10, and a portion of the support base 510 is located below the guide rib 220 of the bottom plate 20, so that the guide rib 220 guides the movement of the support base 510 relative to the bottom plate 20. For example, Figure 5As shown, when the adjustment plate 530 is disposed below the bottom plate 20, the left portion of the support seat 510 (e.g., the portion including the receiving space 514, the positioning block 516, the positioning hole 518, and the positioning groove 519) protrudes from the bottom plate 20 from the left opening 210 of the bottom plate 20. The right portion of the support seat 510 (e.g., the portion including the channel 511 and the striking portion 512) protrudes from the bottom plate 20 from the right opening 210 of the bottom plate 20. The middle portion (i.e., the plate portion) of the support seat 510 is located below the guide rib 220. When the sounding member 520 is disposed on the support seat 510, the extension arm 522 extends across the top of the guide rib 220, and the end (free end) of the extension arm 522 extends to the bottom of the striking portion 512. In other words, the extension direction of the guide rib 220 is preferably perpendicular to the extension direction of the extension arm 522 and perpendicular to the key cap end 310a of the first bracket 310.

[0050] The support base 510 can move relative to the bottom plate 20, so that the sounding member 520 can be selectively located at the interference position or the non-interference position. When the sounding member 520 is located at the interference position, the extension arm 522 is pressed by the actuating portion 330 and produces a sound. When the sounding member 520 is located at the non-interference position, the extension arm 522 is not pressed by the actuating portion 330 and does not produce a sound. Figure 5 As shown, the adjustment plate 530 can move relative to the bottom plate 20 in the direction D1 or D2 to drive the support base 510 to move along the guide rib 220 toward or away from the actuating portion 330, thereby changing the position of the sounding member 520 relative to the actuating portion 330, so that the extension arm 522 is located on or outside the action path of the actuating portion 330, thereby changing the pressing feel and sound effect of the key structure 1. For example, since the sound unit 50 can move relative to the bottom plate 20 (for example, by moving the adjustment plate 530 to make the support base 510 move relative to the bottom plate 20 in the opening 210), the sounding member 520 disposed on the support base 510 can be located at different positions relative to the action path of the actuating portion 330. In this embodiment, when the support base 510 moves relative to the bottom plate 20 in the opening 210 toward the direction close to the actuating portion 330 (for example, moves toward the direction D1), the sound-generating member 520 moves along with the support base 510 and is located on the action path of the actuating portion 330, that is, the extension arm 522 extends through the action path of the actuating portion 330, or the extension arm 522 and the actuating portion 330 partially overlap in the Z-axis direction. In this state, the sound-generating member 520 is located at the interference position. When the keycap 10 is pressed, the keycap 10 moves toward the bottom plate 20 to drive the support mechanism 30 to move, and the actuating portion 330 simultaneously presses downward against the extension arm 522, thereby causing the extension arm 522 to break away from the pressure of the actuating portion 330 and rebound upward to hit the impact surface 512a of the impact portion 512 to generate a sound.

[0051] When the support base 510 moves relative to the bottom plate 20 in the opening 210 in a direction away from the actuating portion 330 (e.g., in the direction D2), the sound-generating member 520 moves along with the support base 510 and is not located on the actuating portion 330's actuating path, that is, the extension arm 522 is away from the actuating portion 330's actuating path, or the extension arm 522 and the actuating portion 330 do not overlap in the Z-axis direction. In this state, the sound-generating member 520 is located at a non-interference position. When the keycap 10 is pressed, the keycap 10 drives the supporting mechanism 30 and the actuating part 330 to move downward and compress the elastic body (i.e., the restoring element 40) to trigger the switch element 620 of the circuit film 60. Since the extension arm 522 is not on the action path of the actuating part 330, the actuating part 330 and the extension arm 522 will not interfere with each other, so that the key structure 1 provides a silent linear feel. That is, in this state, the key structure 1 makes the keycap 10 drive the actuating part 330 to pass through the sound-emitting part 520. The pressing force required is relatively small, and no sound is emitted.

[0052] Furthermore, if Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the key structure 1 may further include a smooth sheet 70. The smooth sheet 70 is disposed between the adjustment plate 530 and the bottom plate 20, and the friction coefficient of the smooth sheet 70 is less than the friction coefficient of the adjustment plate 530. For example, the smooth sheet 70 may be a Teflon smooth sheet, which preferably has an ultra-low friction coefficient (e.g., less than 0.1), so that the adjustment plate 530 can be easily moved relative to the bottom plate 20, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The smooth sheet 70 may be made of any suitable low friction coefficient material to facilitate the movement of the adjustment plate 530 relative to the bottom plate 20. In this embodiment, the smooth sheet 70 has an opening 710, and the opening 710 is disposed corresponding to the support seat 510. When the smooth sheet 70 is disposed on the adjustment plate 530, the support seat 510 may be disposed on the adjustment plate 530 through the opening 710 of the smooth sheet 70.

[0053] In addition, if Figure 3 As shown, the key structure 1 may selectively include one or more membranes (e.g., a first membrane 542, a second membrane 544) to enhance the insulation protection and / or waterproof performance of the key structure 1. For example, the key structure 1 may provide a Mylar insulation sheet (first membrane 542) and / or a Mylar waterproof sheet (second membrane 544) below the adjustment plate 530, but is not limited thereto.

[0054] Please refer to FIG. 7A to FIG. 8 , Fig. 7A FIG. 2 is a plan view of a key structure without a key cap according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7B To display Fig. 7A A simplified diagram of the position of the sound generating member in FIG. Figure 8 for Fig. 7A A cross-sectional diagram of the middle button structure in an unpressed state. FIG. 7A to FIG. 8As shown, the key structure 2 is similar to the key structure 1. For example, the details of the key cap 10, the base plate 20, the return element 40 and the sound unit 50 can refer to the relevant description of the above embodiment. Fig. 7A The key structure 2 and Figure 1 The key structure of 1 is different.

[0055] In this embodiment, the first bracket 310 of the support mechanism 30 has a key cap end 310a protruding outward relative to the coupling shaft 314. When the first bracket 310 is pivoted to the inner side of the second bracket 320, in a plan view, the key cap end 310a of the first bracket 310 and the bottom plate end 320b of the second bracket 320 at least partially overlap. From another point of view, in the Z-axis direction, the key cap end 310a of the first bracket 310 and the bottom plate end 320b of the second bracket 320 at least partially overlap, so that the first bracket 310 has a relatively large space for arranging the sound unit 50. Similar to the first embodiment, in a plan view, the extension arm 522 is located on the inner side of the first bracket 310 and on the outer side of the inner edge of the shaft hole 312 of the first bracket 310. From another point of view, in the plan view, the extension arm 522 is located in the region 311 defined by the virtual line OL of the outer edges 110a of the two first coupling members 110 and the virtual line IL of the inner edges 110b of the two first coupling members 110. In this embodiment, since the position difference between the coupling shaft 314 and the outermost edge of the keycap end 310a of the first bracket 310 in the Y-axis direction is relatively large, the extension arm 522 can be regarded as being substantially located in the region 311. With this design, the sound unit 50 is disposed relatively far away from the pivot axis 30a or the center line of the keycap 10 to provide sufficient space to centrally dispose the restoring element 40 (i.e., the center (or centroid) overlaps with the pivot axis 30a or the center line of the keycap 10), so that the key structure 2 can not only provide the sound feedback of pressing, but also make the keycap have a relatively uniform pressing feel. However, compared with the key structure 1 , the key cap 10 of the key structure 2 has relatively poor pressing driving performance at the two opposite ends or corners in the Y-axis direction.

[0056] Please refer to Fig. 9 and Fig.10 , Fig. 9 is a plan view of a key structure without a key cap according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and Fig.10 for Fig. 9 A cross-sectional diagram of the middle button structure in an unpressed state. Fig. 9 and Fig.10 As shown, the key structure 3 is similar to the key structure 1. For example, the details of the key cap 10, the base plate 20, the return element 40 and the sound unit 50 can refer to the relevant description of the above embodiment. Fig. 9 The key structure 3 and Figure 1 The key structure of 1 is different.

[0057] The key structure 3 is a multiple key, such as "tab", "shift", "enter", "capslock", "backspace" and other keys. In this embodiment, the first bracket 310 of the support mechanism 30 is a rectangular plate, and its central portion has an eccentric hole for accommodating the return element 40. The second bracket 320 of the support mechanism 30 is a rectangular frame, and its size is larger than the first bracket 310. When the first bracket 310 is pivoted to the inner side of the second bracket 320, the rectangular plate-shaped first bracket 310 can be completely set inside the frame of the second bracket 320, but it is not limited to this. In another embodiment, the first bracket 310 of the key structure 3 can have a similar Fig. 7A The keycap end 310a of the first bracket 310 and the bottom plate end 320b of the second bracket 320 are partially overlapped. However, regardless of whether the first bracket 310 and the second bracket 320 are partially overlapped, the total equivalent resistance of the restoring force of the restoring element 40 and the elastic resistance of the sounding member 520 can be designed to be close to the pivot axis 30a or the center line of the keycap 10, and the offset setting of the restoring element 40 (i.e., deviating from the pivot axis 30a or the center line of the keycap 10) can be matched, so that the pressing feel of the keycap 10 of the key structure 3 at the opposite ends or corners in the Y-axis direction is more balanced. In this way, the key structure 3 can not only provide the sound feedback of pressing, but also make the keycap have a relatively uniform pressing feel.

[0058] Please refer to Fig.11 and Fig.12 , Fig.11 is a schematic plan view of a key structure without a key cap according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, and Fig.12 for Fig.11 A cross-sectional diagram of the middle button structure in an unpressed state. Fig.11 and Fig.12 As shown, the key structure 4 is similar to the key structure 1-3, for example, the details of the key cap 10, the base plate 20, the return element 40 and the sound unit 50 can refer to the relevant description of the above embodiments. Fig.11 The key structure 4 is different from the key structures 1-3 of the aforementioned embodiments.

[0059] similar Fig. 9The middle key structure 3 and the key structure 4 are multiple keys, such as "tab", "shift", "enter", "capslock", "backspace" and other keys. In this embodiment, the first bracket 310 of the support mechanism 30 is a glasses-shaped plate, and the two sides thereof are square-like parts 316 with a larger area and an appearance ratio (or aspect ratio) closer to the key structure 1, and the middle is a narrow and long part 317 with an appearance ratio (or aspect ratio) relatively much greater than or less than 1 and connected between the two sides of the square-like parts 316. The support seat 510 is arranged corresponding to the narrow and long part 317 of the first bracket 310. The second bracket 320 of the support mechanism 30 is a rectangular frame, and the second bracket 320 has a central protrusion 323. In a plan view, the central protrusion 323 is located in the center of the second bracket 320 and is surrounded by the square-like part 316 and the narrow and long part 317 of the first bracket 310. For example, in a plan view, the central protrusion 323 is located between the two square-like parts 316 and below the narrow and long part 317. When the first bracket 310 is pivoted to the inner side of the second bracket 320, the narrow portion 317 of the first bracket 310 and the central protrusion 323 of the second bracket 320 jointly define a space for setting the restoring element 40. Similar to the key structure 1 of the first embodiment, when the first bracket 310 is pivoted to the inner side of the second bracket 320, the first bracket 310 can be completely set inside the frame of the second bracket 320, but it is not limited thereto. In this embodiment, by designing the total equivalent resistance of the restoring force of the restoring element 40 and the elastic resistance of the sounding member 520 to be close to the pivot axis 30a or the center line of the keycap 10, and cooperating with the offset setting of the restoring element 40 (i.e., deviating from the pivot axis 30a or the center line of the keycap 10), the pressing feel of the keycap 10 of the key structure 4 at the opposite ends or corners in the Y-axis direction is more balanced. In this way, the key structure 4 can not only provide the sound feedback of pressing, but also make the keycap have a relatively uniform pressing feel.

[0060] Please refer to Fig.13 and Fig.14 , Fig.13 is a plan view of a key structure without a key cap according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, and Fig.14 for Fig.13 A cross-sectional diagram of the middle button structure in an unpressed state. Fig.13 and Fig.14 As shown, the key structure 5 is similar to the key structures 1-4. For example, the details of the key cap 10, the base plate 20, the return element 40 and the sound unit 50 can refer to the relevant description of the above embodiments. Fig.13 The key structure 5 is different from the key structures 1-4 of the aforementioned embodiments.

[0061] The key structure 5 is a multiple key of the "space" key, for example. In this embodiment, the first bracket 310 and the second bracket 320 of the support mechanism 30 are semi-frame-shaped plates, and the first bracket 310 and the second bracket 320 are arranged on opposite sides of the Y-axis direction. The pivot axis 30a of the first bracket 310 and the second bracket 320 is closer to the bottom plate end 310b of the first bracket 310 and the bottom plate end 320b of the second bracket 320. From another point of view, the distance between the pivot axis 30a and the bottom plate end 310b (or 320b) is smaller than the distance between the pivot axis 30a and the key cap end 310a (or 320a). Fig.15 and Fig.16 As shown, the first connecting member 232 and the second connecting member 234 of the bottom plate 20 are disposed at a position closer to the center of the bottom plate, so that the third coupling member 315 of the bottom plate end 310b of the first bracket 310 and the fourth coupling member 325 of the bottom plate end 320b of the second bracket 320 are coupled to the central portion of the bottom plate 20. When the first bracket 310 is pivotally connected to the inner side of the second bracket 320, the first bracket 310 and the second bracket 320 jointly define a space for disposing the restoring element 40. For example, the restoring element 40 is substantially mostly surrounded by the second bracket 320, and a small part is surrounded by the first bracket 310, so that the first bracket 310 can have an opening 318, which can be used to accommodate the sound unit 50. The actuating portion 330 is disposed in the opening 318 and adjacent to the key cap end 310a. Similar to the key structure 1 of the first embodiment, by designing the total equivalent resistance of the restoring force of the restoring element 40 and the elastic resistance of the sounding member 520 to be close to the pivot axis 30a or the center line of the keycap 10, and cooperating with the offset setting of the restoring element 40 (i.e., deviating from the pivot axis 30a or the center line of the keycap 10), the pressing feel of the keycap 10 of the key structure 5 at the opposite ends or corners in the Y-axis direction is more balanced. In this way, the key structure 5 can not only provide the sound feedback of pressing, but also make the keycap 10 have a relatively uniform pressing feel.

[0062] In the aforementioned embodiment, the key structure 1-5 may also selectively have a limiter and a limiter slot. The limiter is disposed on one of the bottom plate 20 and the adjustment plate 530, and the limiter slot is disposed on the other of the bottom plate 20 and the adjustment plate 530. When the adjustment plate 530 drives the support seat 510 to move relative to the bottom plate 20, the limiter moves relatively in the limiter slot. Fig.17A and Fig. 17BAs shown, the limiting member may be a convex column 242 or a guide hook 244, and the limiting groove is a corresponding column groove 532 or a guide hook groove 534. For example, when the convex column 242 or the guide hook 244 is formed at the bottom of the bottom plate 20, the column groove 532 or the guide hook groove 534 is correspondingly formed on the adjustment plate 530. When the column groove 532 or the guide hook groove 534 is formed on the bottom plate 20, the convex column 242 or the guide hook 244 is correspondingly formed on the top of the adjustment plate 530. When the adjustment plate 530 drives the support seat 510 to move relative to the bottom plate 20 so that the sounding member 520 is located at the interference position or the non-interference position, the convex column 242 moves in the column groove 532 and / or the guide hook 244 moves in the guide hook groove 534 to limit the movement range of the adjustment plate 530 relative to the bottom plate 20.

[0063] It should be noted that in the above-mentioned embodiment, although the actuating portion 330 is provided on the supporting mechanism 30, the present invention is not limited thereto. In another embodiment (not shown), the actuating portion 330 may be provided on the keycap 10, and the actuating portion 330 extends downward from the lower surface of the keycap 10 to correspond to the extension arm 522 of the sounding member 520. Furthermore, the first bracket 310 and the second bracket 320 of the supporting mechanism 30 are preferably made of a material with strong rigidity (such as nylon (polyamide)) to enhance the tolerance of the supporting mechanism 30 to the upward resistance of the restoring element 40 and the sounding member 520, and reduce the possibility of bending and deformation of the supporting mechanism 30.

[0064] In summary, compared with the prior art, the key structure of the present invention comprehensively considers the rebound resistance of the sounding member and the restoring force of the restoring element to design the interference position of the sounding member, so that the key structure can not only provide the sound feedback of pressing, but also make the keycap have a more uniform pressing feel. Furthermore, the key structure of the present invention can be arranged on a movable support seat by the sounding member, so that the movement of the support seat can drive the whole movement of the sounding member, which can not only avoid the deformation of the sounding member during the adjustment process of sounding / no sounding, but also meet the different operation requirements of users.

[0065] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. All equivalent changes and modifications made according to the scope of the patent application of the present invention should fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A key structure, characterized in that: Include: keycap; A bottom plate is arranged below the key cap; A supporting mechanism connected between the keycap and the base plate, the supporting mechanism comprising a first bracket and a second bracket, the first bracket being pivotally connected to the second bracket, the first bracket having an axial hole to define a coupling shaft, and the coupling shaft being rotatably coupled to the keycap; An actuating portion, disposed on the keycap or the first bracket and extending toward the bottom plate; A restoring element is disposed between the key cap and the base plate to provide a restoring force to drive the key cap to move in a direction away from the base plate; as well as A sound unit is arranged corresponding to the actuating part, the sound unit comprises a sounding member and a support seat, the support seat has a striking part, the sounding member is arranged on the support seat and has an extension arm, the extension arm extends corresponding to the striking part; Among them, the extension arm is located on the inner side of the first bracket and on the outer side of the inner edge of the axial hole of the first bracket. When the keycap moves toward the base plate to drive the support mechanism to move, the actuating part presses downward against the extension arm, thereby causing the extension arm to break away from the pressure of the actuating part and rebound upward to hit the struck part to produce a sound.

2. A key structure, characterized in that: Include: A key cap having two coupling members; A bottom plate, disposed below the key cap; A supporting mechanism connected between the key cap and the bottom plate, the supporting mechanism comprising a first bracket and a second bracket, the first bracket being pivotally connected to the second bracket; An actuating portion, disposed on the keycap or the first bracket and extending toward the bottom plate; A restoring element is disposed between the key cap and the base plate to provide a restoring force to drive the key cap to move in a direction away from the base plate; as well as A sound unit is arranged corresponding to the actuating part, the sound unit comprises a sounding member and a support seat, the support seat has a striking part, the sounding member is arranged on the support seat and has an extension arm, the extension arm extends corresponding to the striking part; The extension arm is located in the area defined by the outer edge virtual line and the inner edge virtual line of the two coupling parts, and when the keycap moves toward the base plate to drive the support mechanism to move, the actuating part presses downward against the extension arm, thereby causing the extension arm to break away from the pressure of the actuating part and rebound upward to hit the struck part to produce a sound.

3. The key structure according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The first bracket is pivotally connected to the inner side of the second bracket to define a pivot axis, and the restoring element is arranged offset relative to the pivot axis in a direction away from the sound-emitting unit.

4. A key structure, characterized in that: Include: keycap; A bottom plate, disposed below the key cap; A support mechanism connected between the keycap and the base plate, the support mechanism comprising a first bracket and a second bracket, the first bracket being pivotally connected to the second bracket to define a pivot axis; An actuating portion, disposed on the keycap or the first bracket and extending toward the bottom plate; A restoring element is disposed between the key cap and the base plate, offset from the pivot axis, so as to provide a restoring force to drive the key cap to move in a direction away from the base plate; as well as A sound unit is arranged corresponding to the actuating part, the sound unit comprises a sounding member and a support seat, the support seat has a striking part, the sounding member is arranged on the support seat and has an extension arm, the extension arm extends corresponding to the striking part; When the keycap moves toward the base plate to drive the support mechanism to move, the actuating portion presses downward against the extension arm, so that the extension arm is released from the actuating portion and rebounds upward to hit the struck portion to generate a sound.

5. The key structure according to claim 1, 2 or 4, characterized in that: The support seat can be moved relative to the base plate so that the sound-emitting member is selectively located at an interference position or a non-interference position; when the sound-emitting member is located at the interference position, the extension arm is pressed by the actuating portion to produce the sound; when the sound-emitting member is located at the non-interference position, the extension arm is not pressed by the actuating portion and does not produce the sound.

6. The key structure according to claim 1, 2 or 4, characterized in that: The bottom plate has an opening. The sound generating unit further comprises an adjusting plate, which is arranged below the bottom plate. The supporting seat is arranged on the adjusting plate to protrude from the bottom plate through the opening.

7. The key structure according to claim 6, characterized in that: The bottom plate has a guide rib, the support seat protrudes from the opening to the bottom plate and is partially located below the guide rib, so that the support seat is guided by the guide rib to move relative to the bottom plate.

8. The key structure according to claim 6, characterized in that: The key structure also includes a limit member and a limit slot, wherein the limit member is arranged on one of the base plate and the adjustment plate, and the limit slot is arranged on the other of the base plate and the adjustment plate; when the adjustment plate drives the support seat to move relative to the base plate, the limit member moves relatively in the limit slot.

9. The key structure according to claim 6, characterized in that: The key structure further comprises a smooth sheet, wherein the smooth sheet is arranged between the adjustment plate and the bottom plate, and the friction coefficient of the smooth sheet is smaller than the friction coefficient of the adjustment plate.

10. The key structure according to claim 1, 2 or 4, characterized in that: The key structure also includes a circuit film, wherein the circuit film has a film hole, the film hole is arranged corresponding to the support seat, and the size of the film hole is twice the bottom area of ​​the support seat.

Images