Light-emitting ultrathin keyboard and preparation process thereof

Abstract

The light-emitting ultrathin keyboard comprises a mounting plate, a reflector plate, a plurality of keycaps, a diaphragm arranged below the keycaps, a silver paste circuit printed below the diaphragm and a plurality of LED lamps conducted with the diaphragm through the silver paste circuit, the mounting plate is located below the LED lamps, the reflector plate is arranged below the mounting plate, and the reflector plate is arranged below the mounting plate. The mounting plate is provided with a mounting area and a second light-transmitting area. Wherein the keyboard is provided with a first light-transmitting area used for displaying a light source of the LED lamp, each silver paste circuit and the LED lamp form an independent circuit path, and each circuit path corresponds to one key cap; wherein the mounting plate is provided with a plurality of LED lamps through the mounting area; the reflector plate is used for reflecting light of the LED lamp in the mounting plate through the second light-transmitting area. The backlight module has the advantages that a traditional three-layer structure of a shading sheet, a light guide plate and a flexible circuit board is omitted. Therefore, the material consumption and the overall thickness of the keyboard are reduced, and the keyboard can be applied to lighter, thinner and more portable consumer electronic products.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of illuminated keyboards, specifically to an ultra-thin illuminated keyboard and its manufacturing process. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of membrane switches for keyboards, the structure of a traditional backlit keyboard, from top to bottom, includes keycaps, a membrane, a mounting plate, a light guide plate, LEDs, an emitter, and an FPC connecting the LEDs to the power supply. This type of keyboard has a complex structure and is relatively thick, making it inconvenient to carry. At the same time, the large number of materials and complex structure result in more production processes, longer production time, and higher costs.

[0003] For example, Chinese patent CN106024476A discloses a backlight structure comprising a light guide plate, a light-emitting unit, a reflective sheet, a fluid-cured layer, and an adhesive layer. The light guide plate has a light-incident surface, a light-emitting surface, a bottom surface opposite the light-emitting surface, and a side surface. The light-emitting unit is adjacent to the light-incident surface, and the light emitted by the light-emitting unit enters the light guide plate through the light-incident surface and exits through the light-emitting surface. The reflective sheet is disposed below the bottom surface, which can reflect the light emitted from the bottom surface. However, the entire structure includes a light guide plate, and the thickness of the light guide plate increases the overall thickness, weight, cost, and assembly time of the keyboard, which is detrimental to improving market competitiveness.

[0004] For example, Chinese Patent CN104576150A discloses a backlight device and its illuminated keyboard. The backlight device includes a light guide plate module, first and second light-emitting diodes (LEDs), a light-shielding sheet, a reflective sheet, and first and second light-shielding structures. The light guide plate module includes first and second light guide plates. The second light guide plate is disposed below the first light guide plate. The first LED emits a first light beam towards the light guide plate module. The second LED is arranged alternately with the first LED to emit a second light beam towards the light guide plate module, the color of the first light beam being different from the color of the second light beam. The first light-shielding structure extends from the light-shielding sheet and is located between the first light guide plate and the second LED, used to restrict the second light beam from entering the first light guide plate. The second light-shielding structure extends from the reflective sheet and is located between the second light guide plate and the first LED, used to restrict the first light beam from entering the second light guide plate, preventing the light from the first and second LEDs from accidentally entering light guide plates that are not their corresponding light guide plates. While the aforementioned backlighting device and its illuminated keyboard can illuminate the keycaps, the overall keyboard structure is overly complex, including a light guide plate module for guiding light, a light shield for blocking light, and first and second light shielding structures. These structures lead to an increase in the thickness, weight, cost, and processes of the entire keyboard, thereby reducing production efficiency.

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to provide an ultra-thin luminescent keyboard and its manufacturing process. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention provides an ultra-thin luminous keyboard and its manufacturing process, which effectively solves the problems of excessive material usage and inability to effectively reduce the thickness of luminous keyboards.

[0007] The technical solution adopted in this invention is as follows: an ultra-thin luminescent keyboard, comprising a mounting plate, a reflective sheet, several keycaps, a membrane disposed below the keycaps, silver paste lines printed below the membrane, and several LEDs connected to the membrane via the silver paste lines. The mounting plate is located below the LEDs, and the reflective sheet is disposed below the mounting plate. The mounting plate has a mounting area and a second light-transmitting area. The keyboard has a first light-transmitting area for displaying the light source of the LEDs. Each silver paste line forms a separate circuit path with the LED, and each circuit path corresponds to one keycap. The mounting plate mounts several LEDs through the mounting area. The reflective sheet is used to reflect the light from the LEDs in the mounting plate using the second light-transmitting area.

[0008] Furthermore, the resistance of the silver paste circuit is less than 0.5Ω, and the thickness of the silver paste circuit ranges from 10 to 20 μm.

[0009] Furthermore, the LED light is a surface-mount LED light, and the mounting plate is an aluminum plate with mounting grooves for mounting the LED.

[0010] Furthermore, the film includes an upper PET layer, a lower PET layer, a middle PET layer, a first line printed on the lower end face of the upper PET layer, a second line printed on the upper end face of the lower PET layer, and the middle PET layer is provided with through holes.

[0011] Furthermore, the mounting plate and the reflective sheet are connected by adhesive, the size of the reflective sheet is not smaller than the size of the mounting plate, and the mounting plate and the reflective sheet are concentric.

[0012] Furthermore, the overall thickness of the keyboard is no more than 5mm.

[0013] Furthermore, the mounting plate is connected to the diaphragm by adhesive, and the mounting plate is provided with a locking protrusion for limiting the edge of the diaphragm.

[0014] The keyboard manufacturing process, used to manufacture the aforementioned luminescent ultrathin keyboard, includes the following steps: S1. Print several silver paste lines on the back of the film, each silver paste line including a contact; S2. Solder several LEDs to the corresponding silver paste circuits to make the connection points of the LEDs and the silver paste circuits electrically connected. S3. Assemble the diaphragm and the mounting plate so that the LED light is located between the diaphragm and the mounting plate; S4. Assemble the keycaps with the mounting plate so that the membrane is located between the mounting plate and the keycaps; S5. Assemble the reflector and the mounting plate.

[0015] Furthermore, the LED light is soldered to the silver paste circuitry on the back of the diaphragm using an SMT process.

[0016] Furthermore, it also includes S6, which performs electrical and optical tests on the assembled keyboard to ensure the uniformity of backlighting and the responsiveness of each keycap.

[0017] Beneficial effects of the invention: By directly printing conductive silver paste lines onto the back of the diaphragm and connecting them to LEDs, the diaphragm and LEDs are integrated, eliminating the need for the traditional three-layer structure of light shield, light guide plate, and flexible circuit board. This reduces the amount of material used and the overall thickness of the keyboard, making it suitable for use in thinner and more portable consumer electronics products.

[0018] By directly reducing the use of three materials—light shield, light guide plate, and FPC—the cost of these three materials is eliminated. At the same time, eliminating the light shield, light guide plate, and FPC greatly simplifies the keyboard assembly process, eliminating the complex assembly steps of the light shield, light guide plate, and FPC, improving production efficiency and product yield, and thus significantly reducing the manufacturing cost of the product.

[0019] Using aluminum plates as mounting plates allows for the application of aluminum's lightweight yet strong properties in thin and light keyboards, while also providing sufficient strength to support the diaphragm and keycaps.

[0020] The entire keyboard uses reflectors to allow the light emitted by the LEDs to pass through the keycaps more evenly. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is an overall schematic diagram of an ultra-thin, light-emitting keyboard provided as an embodiment of this application.

[0022] Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating the fabrication process of the luminescent ultrathin keyboard provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0023] The markings in the diagram are: 1. Mounting plate; 2. Reflector; 3. Keycap; 4. Diaphragm. Detailed Implementation

[0024] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0025] like Figure 1As shown, the first embodiment provided in this application is an ultra-thin luminescent keyboard, the structure of which includes a mounting plate 1, a reflective sheet 2, several keycaps 3, a membrane 4 disposed below the keycaps 3, silver paste lines printed below the membrane 4, and several LEDs connected to the membrane 4 through the silver paste lines. The mounting plate 1 is located below the LEDs, and the reflective sheet 2 is disposed below the mounting plate 1. The mounting plate 1 is provided with a mounting area and a second light-transmitting area. The keycaps 3 are provided with a first light-transmitting area for displaying the light source of the LEDs. Each silver paste line forms a separate circuit path with the LED, and each circuit path corresponds to one keycap 3. The mounting plate 1 mounts several LEDs through the mounting area. The reflective sheet 2 is used to reflect the light from the LEDs in the mounting plate 1 using the second light-transmitting area.

[0026] In actual use, pressing keycap 3 activates the circuit on the corresponding membrane 4, triggering the keyboard. The light emitted by the LED shines through the first light-transmitting area of ​​keycap 3, and its transparency is further enhanced by reflection from the reflector 2. By installing the LED in a suitable position, its... In the above design, the LED light is placed below the film 4, which reduces the cost of raw materials such as light shield, light guide plate and FPC. At the same time, it also reduces the cost of assembling light shield, light guide plate and FPC, making the whole product thin and light with a simple structure, meeting the requirements of thinness and miniaturization, and improving market competitiveness.

[0027] Specifically: the resistance of the silver paste circuit is less than 0.5Ω, and the thickness of the silver paste circuit ranges from 10 to 20 μm.

[0028] In the above design, by limiting the low resistance and specific thickness range of the silver paste circuitry, current transmission loss is reduced, ensuring the reliability and stability of circuit conduction. Low resistance reduces power loss in the circuitry, improving the brightness of the LEDs and also lowering the overall power consumption of the keyboard. At the same time, it avoids the risk of cracking or compromising the keyboard's slim design due to excessive thickness.

[0029] Specifically: the LED light is a surface mount LED light, the mounting plate 1 is an aluminum plate, and the aluminum plate is provided with mounting grooves for mounting the LED.

[0030] In the above design, surface-mount LEDs are suitable for automated surface mounting on film 4 using SMT equipment, improving production efficiency and the precision of each LED on the same film 4. Mounting plate 1 is made of aluminum; the material properties of aluminum not only provide robust structural support but also offer excellent heat dissipation, helping to dissipate the heat generated during LED operation and extending the LED's lifespan. The mounting slot design enables precise LED positioning, ensuring uniformity and consistency of backlighting.

[0031] Specifically: the diaphragm 4 includes an upper PET layer, a lower PET layer, a middle PET layer, a first line printed on the lower end face of the upper PET layer, and a second line printed on the upper end face of the lower PET layer. The middle PET layer is provided with through holes. The first line is provided with a plurality of first contacts. The second line is provided with second contacts that correspond one-to-one with the first contacts.

[0032] In actual use, when keycap 3 is pressed down, it presses down on the upper PET layer, causing it to deform. This allows contact point 1 to contact contact point 2 through the through-hole in the middle PET layer, forming a circuit and triggering a signal. When keycap 3 is released, the upper PET layer returns to its original position due to its elasticity, causing circuit point 1 and contact point 1 to reset, thus disconnecting contact point 1 from contact point 2.

[0033] In the above design, the structural design and specific implementation of the diaphragm 4 can realize the transmission of signals by matching each keycap 3 as needed.

[0034] Specifically, the mounting plate 1 and the reflective sheet 2 are connected by adhesive, for example, by bonding the mounting plate 1 and the reflective sheet 2 with acrylic adhesive. The size of the reflective sheet 2 is not smaller than the size of the mounting plate 1, for example, the size of the reflective sheet 2 is 50cm × 15cm, and the size of the mounting plate 1 is 48cm × 14cm. The mounting plate 1 and the reflective sheet 2 are concentric.

[0035] In the above design, the mounting plate 1 and the reflector 2 are connected by adhesive, which is simple and reliable. The reflector 2 is slightly larger than the mounting plate 1, which can avoid light leakage from the edges due to assembly errors and ensure that all light is effectively reflected and utilized, thereby improving the uniformity and brightness of the backlight. The concentricity of the mounting plate 1 and the reflector 2 ensures that the mounting plate 1 is always within the end face of the reflector 2.

[0036] Specifically, the overall thickness of the keyboard is no more than 5mm. For example, the keyboard thickness can be 4mm or 5mm.

[0037] In the above design, a keyboard with a thickness of no more than 5mm can be considered an ultra-thin keyboard. The ultra-thin design makes the keyboard very suitable for use in consumer electronics products with strict thickness requirements, such as ultra-thin laptops, 2-in-1 tablets, and portable keyboard bags, which greatly enhances the market competitiveness of the keyboard in this application.

[0038] Specifically, the mounting plate 1 is connected to the diaphragm 4 by adhesive, for example, by using acrylic adhesive to bond the mounting plate 1 and the diaphragm 4. The mounting plate 1 is provided with a locking protrusion for limiting the edge of the diaphragm 4 (the mounting plate 1 includes a base plate and a side plate, and the side plate is provided with a locking protrusion).

[0039] In the above design, the structural design and specific implementation of the mounting plate 1 can limit the position of the diaphragm 4 after installation, improve the stability of the entire product, and extend the service life of the entire product.

[0040] like Figure 2 As shown, the second embodiment provided in this application is a keyboard manufacturing process for preparing the aforementioned luminescent ultrathin keyboard, comprising the following steps: S1. Print several silver paste lines on the back of the diaphragm 4, each silver paste line including a contact; S2. Solder several LEDs to the corresponding silver paste circuits to make the connection points of the LEDs and the silver paste circuits electrically connected. S3. Assemble the diaphragm 4 with the mounting plate 1 so that the LED light is located between the diaphragm 4 and the mounting plate 1; S4. Assemble the keycap 3 with the mounting plate 1, so that the membrane 4 is located between the mounting plate 1 and the keycap 3; S5. Assemble the reflector 2 with the mounting plate 1.

[0041] The above design makes the entire process suitable for automated mass production. This process eliminates the need for separate assembly of several components (such as the bonding of light shields, light guides, and FPCs), improving production efficiency and reducing production costs.

[0042] Specifically, the LED light is soldered to the silver paste circuit on the back of the diaphragm 4 using an SMT process.

[0043] In the above design, SMT (Surface Mount Technology) is a mature and readily available process. SMT enables high-precision, high-speed, and highly consistent electronic assembly, ensuring reliable soldering quality, high connection strength, and stable electrical performance. This fully guarantees the production quality and efficiency of the keyboard backlight system.

[0044] Specifically, it also includes S6, performing electrical and optical tests on the assembled keyboard to ensure the backlight uniformity and key response of each keycap 3.

[0045] In the above design, the yield rate of finished products can be ensured by testing the finished products.

[0046] like Figure 2 As shown, the third embodiment provided in this application is a keyboard manufacturing process for fabricating the aforementioned luminescent ultra-thin keyboard, comprising the following steps: S1, printing a plurality of silver paste lines on the back of the diaphragm 4, each silver paste line including a contact; S2, soldering a plurality of LEDs to the corresponding silver paste lines, so that the LEDs and the contacts of the silver paste lines form an electrical connection; S3, assembling the diaphragm 4 with the mounting plate 1, such that the LEDs are located between the diaphragm 4 and the mounting plate 1; S4, assembling the keycaps 3 with the mounting plate 1, such that the diaphragm 4 is located between the mounting plate 1 and the keycaps 3; S5, assembling the reflector 2 with the mounting plate 1. The LEDs are soldered to the silver paste lines on the back of the diaphragm 4 using an SMT process. The process also includes S6, performing electrical and optical tests on the assembled keyboard to ensure the backlight uniformity and key response function of each keycap 3.

[0047] The above design features a simple process that enables the assembly of the entire keyboard and subsequent testing, ensuring that the keyboard is manufactured and that the product yield is guaranteed through testing.

[0048] In further detail, it should be understood that the above description is only a specific embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A light-emitting ultra-thin keyboard, characterized in that: The device includes a mounting plate (1), a reflective sheet (2), several keycaps (3), a membrane (4) disposed below the keycaps (3), silver paste lines printed below the membrane (4), and several LEDs that are connected to the membrane (4) through the silver paste lines. The mounting plate (1) is located below the LEDs, and the reflective sheet (2) is disposed below the mounting plate (1). The mounting plate (1) is provided with an installation area and a second light-transmitting area. The keycap (3) is provided with a first light-transmitting area for displaying the light source of the LED light; Each of the silver paste lines forms a separate circuit path with the LED light, and each circuit path corresponds to a keycap (3); The mounting plate (1) has several LED lights mounted in the mounting area; The reflector (2) is used to reflect the light from the LED lamp in the mounting plate (1) using the second light-transmitting area.

2. The luminous ultra-thin keyboard according to claim 1, characterized in that: The resistance of the silver paste circuit is less than 0.5Ω, and the thickness of the silver paste circuit ranges from 10 to 20 μm.

3. The luminous ultra-thin keyboard according to claim 1, characterized in that: The LED is a surface mount LED, and the mounting plate (1) is an aluminum plate with mounting grooves for mounting the LED.

4. The luminous ultra-thin keyboard according to claim 1, characterized in that: The membrane (4) includes an upper PET layer, a lower PET layer, a middle PET layer, a first line printed on the lower end face of the upper PET layer, and a second line printed on the upper end face of the lower PET layer. The middle PET layer is provided with through holes.

5. The luminous ultra-thin keyboard according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting plate (1) and the reflector (2) are connected by adhesive. The size of the reflector (2) is not smaller than the size of the mounting plate (1). The mounting plate (1) and the reflector (2) are concentric.

6. The luminous ultra-thin keyboard according to claim 1, characterized in that: The overall thickness of the keyboard is no more than 5mm.

7. The luminous ultra-thin keyboard according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting plate (1) is connected to the diaphragm (4) by adhesive, and the mounting plate (1) is provided with a locking protrusion for limiting the edge of the diaphragm (4).

8. A keyboard manufacturing process for preparing the luminescent ultrathin keyboard according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: Includes the following steps: S1. Print several silver paste lines on the back of the film (4), each silver paste line including a contact; S2. Solder several LEDs to the corresponding silver paste circuits to make the connection points of the LEDs and the silver paste circuits electrically connected. S3. Assemble the diaphragm (4) and the mounting plate (1) so that the LED light is located between the diaphragm (4) and the mounting plate (1); S4. Assemble the keycap (3) with the mounting plate (1) so that the membrane (4) is located between the mounting plate (1) and the keycap (3); S5. Assemble the reflector (2) with the mounting plate (1).

9. The preparation process according to claim 8, characterized in that: The LED light is soldered to the silver paste circuit on the back of the diaphragm (4) by SMT process.

10. The preparation process according to claim 8, characterized in that: It also includes S6, performing electrical and optical tests on the assembled keyboard to ensure the backlight uniformity and key response function of each keycap (3).

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