Key module and electronic equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses a key module and electronic equipment, and belongs to the field of electronic products. The key module comprises a frame structure and a pressure sensing key, the frame structure comprises a frame body and a supporting plate, a key containing groove is formed in the outer side of the frame body, the supporting plate is arranged on the inner side wall of the key containing groove, the pressure sensing key is arranged on the supporting plate, and the pressure sensing key is arranged on the supporting plate. At least part or all of the supporting plate is contained in the key containing groove, and a gap is formed between the supporting plate and the bottom face of the key containing groove.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application belongs to the technical field of electronic products, and specifically relates to a key module and an electronic device. Background Art

[0002] At present, in order to improve the appearance of electronic devices such as mobile phones, the volume buttons and power buttons on the frame are usually set as pressure-sensitive buttons, such as pasting the pressure-sensitive buttons on the side frames of electronic devices. In addition, in order to increase the module signal volume of the pressure-sensitive buttons, a separate steel reinforcement structure is usually set in the pressure-sensitive buttons. However, due to the brittle fracture characteristics of the pressure-sensitive material of the pressure-sensitive buttons, the pressure-sensitive materials are prone to cracks during the stress process, which can easily lead to the failure of the pressure-sensitive buttons.

[0003] It can be seen that the pressure sensing buttons in the related art have the problem of poor reliability. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the embodiments of the present application is to provide a key module and an electronic device that can solve the problem of poor reliability of pressure-sensitive keys in the related art.

[0005] In the first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a button module, comprising: a frame structure and a pressure-sensitive button, the frame structure comprising a frame body and a support plate, a key receiving groove is provided on the outer side of the frame body, the support plate is provided on the inner side wall of the key receiving groove, the pressure-sensitive button is provided on the support plate and is at least partially or completely received in the key receiving groove, and there is a gap between the support plate and the bottom surface of the key receiving groove.

[0006] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an electronic device, comprising the key module described in the first aspect.

[0007] In the embodiment of the present application, since the support plate is a supporting structure arranged on the inner wall of the key receiving groove, the pressure sensing key arranged on the support plate is received in the key receiving groove, and there is a gap between the support plate and the bottom surface of the key receiving groove, that is, the thickness of the support plate is smaller than the thickness of the frame body; therefore, when the same force is applied to the support plate and the frame body, the deformation generated by the support plate will be greater than the deformation generated by the frame body, that is, compared with directly sticking the pressure sensing key on the outer surface of the frame body, by setting the pressure sensing key on the support plate, the pressure sensing material in the pressure sensing key can produce a larger deformation, that is, there is no need to set a structure for increasing the deformation of the pressure sensing material in the pressure sensing key, so that the pressure sensing key can have a higher sensing sensitivity.

[0008] Moreover, compared with the conventional key scheme of directly sticking the pressure sensing key on the outer surface of the frame body and providing a separate steel reinforcement structure in the pressure sensing key to increase the sensing sensitivity of the pressure sensing key, the present application avoids providing a separate steel reinforcement structure in the pressure sensing key by providing the pressure sensing key on a support plate 12 with a larger deformation amount, thereby effectively reducing the problem of cracks in the pressure-sensitive material caused by the provision of the separate steel reinforcement structure and effectively improving the reliability of the pressure sensing key. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1 This is one of the structural schematic diagrams of the key module provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0010] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A magnified image of area A;

[0011] Figure 3 This is the second structural diagram of the key module provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0012] Figure 4 This is the third structural diagram of the key module provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0013] Figure 5 yes Figure 2 One of the structural schematic diagrams of the pressure sensing component shown in;

[0014] Figure 6 yes Figure 2 The second structural diagram of the pressure sensing component shown in ;

[0015] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] The embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below, and examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present application, and should not be construed as limitations on the present application. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in the field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0017] The term "first" or "second" in the specification and claims of this application may include one or more of the features explicitly or implicitly. In the description of this application, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more. In addition, "and / or" in the specification and claims means at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally means that the objects connected before and after are in an "or" relationship.

[0018] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0019] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0020] like Figures 1 to 6 As shown, an embodiment of the present application provides a key module, which includes a frame structure 10 and a pressure-sensitive key 20. The frame structure 10 includes a frame body 11 and a support plate 12. A key receiving groove 111 is provided on the outer side of the frame body 11. The support plate 12 is provided on the inner side wall of the key receiving groove 111. The pressure-sensitive key 20 is provided on the support plate 12 and is at least partially or completely received in the key receiving groove 111. There is a gap 13 between the support plate 12 and the bottom surface of the key receiving groove 111.

[0021] like Figure 7 As shown, when the key module is applied to electronic devices such as mobile phones, the frame structure 10 can be understood as a side frame, a top frame or a bottom frame of the electronic devices such as mobile phones.

[0022] In some embodiments, when the pressure sensing button 20 is a volume button or a power button arranged on the side frame of an electronic device such as a mobile phone, the frame structure 10 can be understood as the side frame of the electronic device such as a mobile phone.

[0023] The outer side of the frame body 11 mentioned above can be understood as one side of the outer surface of the frame body 11, such as the outer side of the side frame.

[0024] The button receiving groove 111 can be understood as a receiving structure disposed on the outer side of the frame body 11 and distributed along the thickness direction of the frame body 11 , which can be used to at least partially or completely receive the pressure sensing button 20 .

[0025] The support plate 12 can be understood as a support structure disposed on the inner wall of the key receiving groove 111 , which can carry and support the pressure sensing key 20 , that is, the pressure sensing key 20 can be disposed on the support plate 12 .

[0026] In some embodiments, the frame body 11 and the support plate 12 may be an integral structure to enhance the integrity of the key module.

[0027] The pressure sensing button 20 can be understood as a button switch with a pressure sensing function. Specifically, when an external force acts on the pressure sensing button 20, the pressure sensing material in the pressure sensing button 20 will be slightly deformed, and by detecting the change in the electrical signal corresponding to the slight deformation of the pressure sensing material, the sensing detection of the pressing operation of the pressure sensing button 20 can be realized, thereby realizing the button function of the pressure sensing button 20, such as realizing the volume adjustment function or the power on / off function of the electronic device.

[0028] Since the support plate 12 is a support structure arranged on the inner wall of the key receiving groove 111, the pressure sensing key 20 arranged on the support plate 12 is received in the key receiving groove 111, and there is a gap 13 between the support plate 12 and the bottom surface of the key receiving groove 111, that is, the thickness of the support plate 12 is less than the thickness of the frame body 11; therefore, when the same force is applied to the support plate 12 and the frame body 11, the deformation generated by the support plate 12 will be greater than the deformation generated by the frame body 11, that is, compared with directly sticking the pressure sensing key 20 on the outer surface of the frame body 11, by setting the pressure sensing key 20 on the support plate 12, the pressure sensing material in the pressure sensing key 20 can produce a larger deformation, that is, there is no need to set a structure for increasing the deformation of the pressure sensing material in the pressure sensing key 20, so that the pressure sensing key 20 can have a higher sensing sensitivity.

[0029] Moreover, compared with the conventional key scheme of directly sticking the pressure sensing button 20 on the outer surface of the frame body 11 and setting a separate steel reinforcement structure in the pressure sensing button 20 to increase the sensing sensitivity of the pressure sensing button 20, in the present application, by setting the pressure sensing button 20 on a support plate 12 with a larger deformation amount, it is possible to avoid setting a separate steel reinforcement structure in the pressure sensing button 20, effectively reducing the crack problem of the pressure-sensitive material caused by the setting of the separate steel reinforcement structure, and effectively improving the reliability of the pressure sensing button 20.

[0030] In some embodiments, Figure 3 As shown, in order to further increase the deformation of the support plate 12 under the same force, a groove structure 121 can be provided on one side of the bottom surface of the support plate 12 facing the key receiving groove 111 .

[0031] Among them, the projection area of ​​the pressure-sensitive material of the pressure-sensitive button 20 on the support plate 12 can be located within the projection area of ​​the groove structure 121 on the support plate 12, that is, the pressure-sensitive material of the pressure-sensitive button 20 can be arranged directly opposite the groove structure 121, so that the support plate 12 can produce a larger deformation in the area of ​​the groove structure 121, and then the pressure-sensitive material arranged corresponding to the groove structure 121 can produce a larger deformation amount, so as to further improve the sensing sensitivity of the pressure-sensitive button 20.

[0032] In some embodiments, in order to further increase the deformation of the support plate 12 under the same force, a plurality of groove structures 121 can be set on the side of the bottom surface of the support plate 12 facing the key receiving groove 111, and the plurality of groove structures 121 can be distributed along the length direction of the pressure-sensitive material of the pressure-sensitive button 20.

[0033] The groove structure 121 may be a circular groove structure, a square groove structure, an elliptical groove structure, etc., and the depth and length of the groove structure 121 may be set based on the sensing level of the pressure-sensitive material. For example, when the pressure-sensitive deformation of the pressure-sensitive material is large, the depth of the groove structure 121 may be set smaller to improve the structural strength of the support plate 12; and when the pressure-sensitive deformation of the pressure-sensitive material is small, the depth of the groove structure 121 may be set larger to improve the sensing sensitivity of the pressure-sensitive button 20.

[0034] In some embodiments, Figure 4 As shown, in order to further increase the deformation of the support plate 12 under the same force, one end of the support plate 12 can be set on the inner wall of the key receiving groove 111, and the other end can be suspended in the air, that is, the support plate 12 can be set as a cantilever support structure located on the inner wall of the key receiving groove 111.

[0035] In some embodiments, the key receiving groove 111 can be a square receiving groove arranged on the frame body 11, and the support plate 12 is arranged on the inner wall of the square receiving groove; wherein, in order to increase the deformation amount of the support plate 12 relative to the inner wall of the square receiving groove, the support plate 12 can be set as a support structure connected only to one inner wall of the square receiving groove.

[0036] For example, in a case where a square receiving groove includes a first inner side wall, a second inner side wall, a third inner side wall and a fourth inner side wall which are adjacent to each other in sequence, the support plate 12 can be set as a support structure connected only to the first inner side wall of the square receiving groove, that is, the support plate 12 is set with gaps relative to the second inner side wall, the third inner side wall and the fourth inner side wall to increase the deformation amount of the support plate 12 relative to the inner side wall of the square receiving groove.

[0037] In some embodiments, when the key receiving groove 111 is a circular receiving groove arranged on the frame body 11, the support plate 12 can be a fan-shaped support plate arranged on the inner wall of the circular receiving groove to realize the design of a cantilever support plate, thereby achieving the purpose of the deformation amount of the support plate 12 relative to the inner wall of the key receiving groove 111.

[0038] In some implementations, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the pressure sensing key 20 includes a pressure sensing component 21 and a keycap 22. Both the pressure sensing component 21 and the keycap 22 are arranged on the support plate 12. The keycap 22 is used to drive the support plate 12 to deform. The deformation of the support plate 12 is used to drive the pressure sensing material of the pressure sensing component 21 to deform, so as to realize the key function of the pressure sensing key 20.

[0039] The pressure sensing component 21 and the key cap 22 are both arranged on the support plate 12. It can be understood that the pressure sensing component 21 is arranged on the side of the support plate 12 away from the bottom surface of the key receiving groove 111, and the key cap 22 is also arranged on the side of the support plate 12 away from the bottom surface of the key receiving groove 111, and the key cap 22 can also be covered on the pressure sensing component 21 to protect the pressure sensing component 21. In this way, when the key cap 22 is pressed by an external force, the external force acting on the key cap 22 can drive the support plate 12 to deform, and the deformation of the support plate 12 is used to drive the pressure sensing material of the pressure sensing component 21 to deform, so as to realize the key function of the pressure sensing key 20.

[0040] In some embodiments, the key surface of the key cap 22 may be arranged lower than the outer surface of the frame structure 10 to avoid false triggering of the pressure-sensitive key 20 .

[0041] In some embodiments, the pressure sensing button 20 also includes a first adhesive layer 23 and a second adhesive layer 24. The pressure sensing component 21 can be bonded and fixed to the support plate 12 through the first adhesive layer 23, and the keycap 22 can be bonded and fixed to the support plate 12 through the second adhesive layer 24 to achieve a fixed connection between the pressure sensing button 20 and the keycap 22 and the support plate 12.

[0042] Wherein, both the first adhesive layer 23 and the second adhesive layer 24 may be double-sided adhesive layers.

[0043] In some embodiments, Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the pressure sensing component 21 includes a flexible circuit board 211, and a first pressure sensing resistor 212, a second pressure sensing resistor 213, a third pressure sensing resistor 214 and a fourth pressure sensing resistor 215 arranged on the flexible circuit board 211, and the first pressure sensing resistor 212, the second pressure sensing resistor 213, the third pressure sensing resistor 214 and the fourth pressure sensing resistor 215 form a Wheatstone bridge structure;

[0044] The pressure sensing component 21 further includes a detection circuit electrically connected to the Wheatstone bridge structure, and the detection circuit is used to detect the differential voltage of the Wheatstone bridge structure.

[0045] The above-mentioned first pressure-sensing resistor 212, second pressure-sensing resistor 213, third pressure-sensing resistor 214 and fourth pressure-sensing resistor 215 can all be resistors made of pressure-sensitive materials. When at least one of the first pressure-sensing resistor 212, second pressure-sensing resistor 213, third pressure-sensing resistor 214 and fourth pressure-sensing resistor 215 is stretched or compressed, the resistance value of the stretched or compressed pressure-sensing resistor will change. Since the deformation and resistance of the pressure-sensitive material are linearly related, the pressure detection acting on the pressure-sensing component 21 can be realized based on the change of the differential voltage of the Wheatstone bridge structure formed by the first pressure-sensing resistor 212, second pressure-sensing resistor 213, third pressure-sensing resistor 214 and fourth pressure-sensing resistor 215, thereby realizing the key function of the pressure-sensing button 20.

[0046] In some embodiments, the first pressure-sensing resistor 212 and the second pressure-sensing resistor 213 can be arranged on the first side of the flexible circuit board 211, and the third pressure-sensing resistor 214 and the fourth pressure-sensing resistor 215 can be arranged on the second side of the flexible circuit board 211, so that when the deformation of the support plate 12 drives the first pressure-sensing resistor 212 and the second pressure-sensing resistor 213 to stretch, the third pressure-sensing resistor 214 and the fourth pressure-sensing resistor 215 are compressed; correspondingly, when the deformation of the support plate 12 drives the first pressure-sensing resistor 212 and the second pressure-sensing resistor 213 to compress, the third pressure-sensing resistor 214 and the fourth pressure-sensing resistor 215 are stretched. By such an arrangement, the detection circuit can detect the change of the differential voltage of the Wheatstone bridge structure formed by the first pressure-sensing resistor 212, the second pressure-sensing resistor 213, the third pressure-sensing resistor 214 and the fourth pressure-sensing resistor 215, so as to realize the key function of the pressure-sensing key 20.

[0047] In some embodiments, the pressure sensing component 21 also includes an insulating protection structure, which specifically includes a first insulating protection layer covering the first pressure sensing resistor 212, a second insulating protection layer covering the second pressure sensing resistor 213, a third insulating protection layer covering the third pressure sensing resistor 214, and a fourth insulating protection layer covering the fourth pressure sensing resistor 215. By setting the insulating protection structure, the interference of external debris on the resistance change of the pressure-sensitive material can be reduced.

[0048] In some embodiments, the first end of the first piezoresistor 212 may be electrically connected to the first pad on the flexible circuit board 211 through a first conductive member, and the second end of the first piezoresistor 212 may be electrically connected to the second pad on the flexible circuit board 211 through a second conductive member;

[0049] The first end of the second piezoresistor 213 may be electrically connected to the third pad on the flexible circuit board 211 through the third conductive member, and the second end of the second piezoresistor 213 may be electrically connected to the fourth pad on the flexible circuit board 211 through the fourth conductive member;

[0050] The first end of the third piezoresistor 214 may be electrically connected to the fifth pad on the flexible circuit board 211 through the fifth conductive member, and the second end of the third piezoresistor 214 may be electrically connected to the sixth pad on the flexible circuit board 211 through the sixth conductive member;

[0051] The first end of the fourth piezoresistance resistor 215 may be electrically connected to the seventh pad on the flexible circuit board 211 through the seventh conductive member, and the second end of the fourth piezoresistance resistor 215 may be electrically connected to the eighth pad on the flexible circuit board 211 through the eighth conductive member.

[0052] In some embodiments, the first conductive member, the second conductive member, the third conductive member, the fourth conductive member, the fifth conductive member, the sixth conductive member, the seventh conductive member and the eighth conductive member may all be conductive structures prepared from a conductive paste.

[0053] In some embodiments, the first conductive member, the second conductive member, the third conductive member, the fourth conductive member, the fifth conductive member, the sixth conductive member, the seventh conductive member, and the eighth conductive member may all be conductive copper sheets.

[0054] In some embodiments, in the process of installing the pressure-sensing key 20 on the support plate 12 in the key receiving groove 111, the pressure-sensing component 21 can be first bonded and fixed to the support plate 12 through the first adhesive layer 23, and then the gap 13 is filled with a dielectric material such as PET, and then the keycap 22 is inserted into the key receiving groove 111 by cold pressing, so that the keycap 22 can be bonded and fixed to the support plate 12 through the second adhesive layer 24, and finally the dielectric material such as PET filled in the gap 13 is taken out to realize the assembly connection of the pressure-sensing key 20.

[0055] In this embodiment, the pressing force can be transmitted to the support plate 12 through the keycap 22, and the support plate 12 drives the pressure sensing component 21 to deform. Compared with applying the pressing force directly to the pressure sensing component 21, the destructive effect of the pressing force on the pressure sensing component 21 can be reduced, and the failure rate and cost of the pressure sensing component 21 during production, transportation and assembly can be effectively reduced.

[0056] An embodiment of the present application also provides an electronic device, including a processor chip and the above-mentioned key module.

[0057] The key module can be electrically connected to the processor chip, and the key function of the key module can be realized based on the information interaction between the key module and the processor chip.

[0058] like Figure 7 As shown, the electronic device further includes a frame structure 10 and a screen 30 , and the button module includes a pressure-sensitive button 20 .

[0059] The frame structure 10 may be a side frame of an electronic device, and the pressure-sensitive button 20 may be a volume button or a power button disposed on the side frame.

[0060] It should be noted that the implementation method of the above-mentioned key module embodiment is also applicable to the embodiment of the electronic device and can achieve the same technical effect, which will not be repeated here.

[0061] The electronic device may be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a PDA, a vehicle-mounted electronic device, a wearable device, an ultra-mobile personal computer (UMPC), a netbook, or a personal digital assistant (PDA).

[0062] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "illustrative embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0063] Although the embodiments of the present application have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present application, and that the scope of the present application is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A key module, characterized in that: include: A frame structure and a pressure-sensing key, wherein the frame structure includes a frame body and a support plate, a key receiving groove is provided on the outer side of the frame body, the support plate is provided on the inner side wall of the key receiving groove, the pressure-sensing key is provided on the support plate and is at least partially or completely received in the key receiving groove, and there is a gap between the support plate and the bottom surface of the key receiving groove.

2. The key module according to claim 1, characterized in that: A groove structure is arranged on one side of the support plate facing the bottom surface of the key receiving groove.

3. The key module according to claim 1, characterized in that: One end of the support plate is arranged on the inner side wall of the key receiving groove, and the other end is suspended.

4. The key module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The pressure-sensing key comprises a pressure-sensing component and a keycap. Both the pressure-sensing component and the keycap are arranged on the support plate. The keycap is used to drive the support plate to deform.

5. The key module according to claim 4, characterized in that: The pressure sensing key further includes a first adhesive layer and a second adhesive layer. The pressure sensing component is arranged on the support plate through the first adhesive layer, and the key cap is arranged on the support plate through the second adhesive layer.

6. The key module according to claim 5, characterized in that: The pressure sensing component includes a flexible circuit board, and a first pressure sensing resistor, a second pressure sensing resistor, a third pressure sensing resistor and a fourth pressure sensing resistor arranged on the flexible circuit board, and the first pressure sensing resistor, the second pressure sensing resistor, the third pressure sensing resistor and the fourth pressure sensing resistor form a Wheatstone bridge structure; The pressure sensing component further includes a detection circuit electrically connected to the Wheatstone bridge structure, and the detection circuit is used to detect the differential voltage of the Wheatstone bridge structure.

7. The key module according to claim 6, characterized in that: The pressure sensing component also includes an insulating protection structure, which includes a first insulating protection layer covering the first pressure sensing resistor setting, a second insulating protection layer covering the second pressure sensing resistor setting, a third insulating protection layer covering the third pressure sensing resistor setting, and a fourth insulating protection layer covering the fourth pressure sensing resistor setting.

8. The key module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The frame body and the support plate are an integrated structure.

9. An electronic device, characterized in that: The invention comprises a processor chip and a key module as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The electronic device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The frame structure of the button module is the side frame of the electronic device.

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