Key assembly structure

Abstract

A key assembling structure comprises a scissor type connecting assembly and a bottom plate. The scissor-type connecting assembly comprises an inner frame and an outer frame which are arranged to swing relatively, the inner frame is provided with a first shaft, and the outer frame is provided with a second shaft. The bottom plate is arranged below the scissor type connecting assembly and is provided with a group of first clamping hooks corresponding to the first shaft and a group of second clamping hooks corresponding to the second shaft, and the group of first clamping hooks or the group of second clamping hooks comprise two edge clamping hooks and at least one auxiliary clamping hook; the clamping parts extend outwards and are used for being clamped with the two edge parts and the middle part of the corresponding first shaft or second shaft, and the middle part is arranged between the two edge parts.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a button assembly structure. Background Technology

[0002] The base plates of common button assembly structures on the market are usually made of stainless steel. However, its high density and weight have led to the use of lower-density materials for base plates. However, the pull-out resistance of the clips on these lower-density base plates is insufficient, resulting in a short lifespan and failing to meet requirements. Therefore, a new button assembly structure is needed to solve these problems. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a button assembly structure to solve at least one of the above-mentioned problems.

[0004] This invention provides a button assembly structure, comprising a scissor-type connecting component and a base plate. The scissor-type connecting component includes an inner frame and an outer frame configured to swing relative to each other, wherein the inner frame has a first axis and the outer frame has a second axis. The base plate is disposed below the scissor-type connecting component and has a set of first hooks corresponding to the first axis and a set of second hooks corresponding to the second axis. The set of first hooks or the set of second hooks includes two edge hooks and at least one auxiliary hook, which extends outward and is configured to engage with the two edge portions and the middle portion of the corresponding first axis or second axis, respectively, wherein the middle portion is located between the two edge portions.

[0005] In some embodiments of the present invention, the thickness of the middle section of the first shaft is greater than the thickness of one of the two edge sections of the first shaft.

[0006] In some embodiments of the present invention, the middle section of the first shaft or one of the two edge sections is connected to the outer periphery of the inner frame, and the height of the outer periphery is greater than the height of the middle section or one of the two edge sections.

[0007] In some embodiments of the present invention, the first set of hooks includes two first edge hooks and at least one first auxiliary hook. One of the two first edge hooks or the at least one first auxiliary hook has a connecting surface that extends upward from the base plate and is provided with an inner side surface facing one of the two edge portions or the middle portion of the first shaft. When the scissor-type connecting assembly is in the open state, there is a distance between the connecting surface and the inner side surface.

[0008] In some embodiments of the present invention, one of the two first edge hooks or the at least one first auxiliary hook further has an inner top surface that connects to the connecting surface and extends outward and is provided with an arc surface for facing the inner surface of one of the two edge portions or the middle portion of the first shaft. When the scissor-type connecting assembly is in the open state, the length of a portion of the arc surface that contacts the inner top surface is less than the length of another portion of the arc surface that does not contact the inner top surface.

[0009] In some embodiments of the present invention, one of the two first edge hooks or the at least one first auxiliary hook further has an inner top surface that connects to the connecting surface and extends outward and is provided with an arc surface for facing the inner side surface of one of the two edge portions or the middle portion of the first shaft. When the scissor-type connecting assembly is in the open state, the arc surface contacts a portion of the inner top surface away from the connecting surface but does not contact a portion of the adjacent connecting surface of the inner top surface. Attached Figure Description

[0010] The invention will be best understood from the following description, which is taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that, according to industry practice, the various features are not necessarily drawn to scale. In fact, for clarity, the shapes of the various features may be appropriately adjusted, and the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily increased or decreased.

[0011] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the appearance of a button assembly structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 2 This is a top view of the inner frame according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 3 This is a top view of the outer frame according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a base plate according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the first axis of the inner frame and the corresponding edge hook when the scissor-type connecting assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention is in the open state.

[0016] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the first axis of the inner frame and the corresponding auxiliary hook when the scissor-type connecting assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention is in the open state.

[0017] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view of the first axis of the inner frame and the corresponding edge hook when the scissor-type connecting assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention is in the closed state.

[0018] Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional view of the first axis of the inner frame and the corresponding auxiliary hook when the scissor-type connecting assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention is in the closed state.

[0019] Figure 9 This is a cross-sectional view of the second axis of the outer frame and the corresponding edge hook when the scissor-type connecting assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention is in the open state.

[0020] Figure 10 This is a cross-sectional view of the second axis of the outer frame and the corresponding auxiliary hook when the scissor-type connecting assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention is in the open state.

[0021] Figure 11 This is a cross-sectional view of the second axis of the outer frame and the corresponding edge hook when the scissor-type connecting assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention is in the closed state.

[0022] Figure 12 This is a cross-sectional view of the second axis of the outer frame and the corresponding auxiliary hook when the scissor-type connecting assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention is in the closed state.

[0023] The attached figures are labeled as follows:

[0024] 110: Scissor-type connector assembly

[0025] 112: Inner Frame

[0026] 1121: First Axis

[0027] 1121a: Curved surface

[0028] 1121e: Edge

[0029] 1121m: Middle Section

[0030] 1121i: Inner side

[0031] 1122: Peripheral Area

[0032] 114: Outer Frame

[0033] 1141: Second Axis

[0034] 1141e: Edge

[0035] 1141m: Middle Section

[0036] 1142: Peripheral Area

[0037] 120: Base Plate

[0038] 121: First hook

[0039] 121a: Auxiliary hook

[0040] 121c: Connecting surface

[0041] 121e: Edge hook

[0042] 121t: Inner top surface

[0043] 122: Second hook

[0044] 122a: Auxiliary hook

[0045] 122c: Connecting surface

[0046] 122e: Edge hook

[0047] 122t: Inner top surface

[0048] 130: Thin-film circuit board Detailed Implementation

[0049] The advantages and features of the present invention will be more readily understood by referring to the exemplary embodiments and accompanying drawings in a more detailed description. However, the present invention may be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments provided will enable those skilled in the art to more thoroughly and completely convey the scope of the invention.

[0050] The spatial relative terms used in this document, such as "down" and "up," are for the convenience of describing the relative relationship between one element or feature and another in the accompanying drawings. The true meaning of these spatial relative terms includes other orientations. For example, when the accompanying drawings are rotated 180 degrees vertically, the relationship between one element and another may change from "down" to "up." The spatial relative descriptions used in this document should be interpreted in the same way.

[0051] As described in existing technology, the base plates of common key assembly structures on the market are usually made of stainless steel. However, its high density and heavy weight have led to the adoption of lower-density materials for base plate manufacturing. However, the pull-out resistance of the hooks in these base plates is insufficient, resulting in a short service life and failing to meet requirements. Specifically, the inventors discovered that after several pull-out cycles, the hooks of keycaps with aluminum base plates become severely deformed, exhibiting poor pull-out resistance, and the scissor-type connecting components detach directly from the hooks. In rigorous lifespan tests (ten million taps on the corresponding hook positions of the keycaps in the key structure), the hooks wear severely, causing the scissor-type connecting components to easily detach from the hooks.

[0052] Accordingly, the present invention provides a button assembly structure, comprising a scissor-type connecting assembly having an inner frame and an outer frame, and a base plate. The base plate has a set of first hooks corresponding to the shaft (or sliding shaft) of the inner frame and a set of second hooks corresponding to the shaft (or rotating shaft) of the outer frame. Each set of first or second hooks includes two edge hooks and at least one auxiliary hook, extending outwards and configured to engage with the two edges and the middle section of the corresponding shaft, respectively. The inventors have discovered that because the base plate of the button assembly structure of the present invention has edge hooks and auxiliary hooks, even when using an extremely thin aluminum base plate (thickness, for example, less than 0.3 mm, such as 0.25 mm, 0.20 mm, or thinner), the button structure still exhibits good pull-out resistance and a long service life. Specifically, after several pull-out cycles, the hooks of the base plate do not deform, and the scissor-type connecting assembly does not detach from the hooks; in lifespan tests, the hooks are not prone to severe wear, the shaft of the scissor-type connecting assembly is not prone to breakage, and the service life is significantly improved. On the other hand, compared to the commonly used stainless steel base plate, the button assembly structure of the present invention can use an extremely thin aluminum base plate, thus resulting in a lower overall weight and material cost. Furthermore, the base plate of the button assembly structure of the present invention does not require plastic insert molding during manufacturing, thus reducing processing costs. Various embodiments of the button assembly structure of the present invention will be described in detail below.

[0053] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the appearance of a button assembly structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 This is a top view of the inner frame according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 This is a top view of the outer frame according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 This is a perspective view of a base plate according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the button assembly structure includes a scissor-type connecting assembly 110 and a base plate 120. In some embodiments, the base plate 120 is made of a low-density material (e.g., a material with a density lower than that of stainless steel), such as aluminum or plastic. In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the button assembly structure also includes a thin-film circuit board 130. In some embodiments, the button assembly structure further includes a backlight module (not shown) located below the thin-film circuit board 130.

[0054] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the scissor-type connecting assembly 110 includes an inner frame 112 and an outer frame 114, which are configured to swing relative to each other. Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the inner frame 112 has a first shaft 1121, and the outer frame 114 has a second shaft 1141. In some embodiments, the first shaft 1121 is a sliding shaft, and the second shaft 1141 is a rotating shaft.

[0055] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the base plate 120 is located below the scissor-type connecting assembly 110, and has a set of first hooks 121 corresponding to the first axis 1121 of the inner frame 112 and a set of second hooks 122 corresponding to the second axis 1141 of the outer frame 114. Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the first latch 121 includes two edge latches (or may be referred to as first edge latches) 121e and at least one auxiliary latch (or may be referred to as first auxiliary latch) 121a, which extends outward and is configured to engage with the two edge portions 1121e and the middle portion 1121m of the corresponding first shaft 1121, respectively, with the middle portion 1121m located between the two edge portions 1121e. Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the second hook 122 includes two edge hooks (or second edge hooks) 122e and at least one auxiliary hook (or second auxiliary hook) 122a, which extends outward and is configured to engage with the two edge portions 1141e and the middle portion 1141m of the corresponding second shaft 1141, respectively, with the middle portion 1141m located between the two edge portions 1141e.

[0056] In some embodiments, during the operation of the scissor-type connecting assembly 110, the first axis 1121 of the inner frame 112 slides within the first set of hooks 121, and the second axis 1141 of the outer frame 114 rotates within the second set of hooks 122.

[0057] The inventors discovered that current base plate latches need to simultaneously limit button height and prevent the scissor-type connecting assembly from detaching, resulting in significant stress on the latches, making them prone to deformation, wear, and even breakage. Therefore, in addition to adding auxiliary latches 121a and / or auxiliary latches 122a to distribute the stress, in some embodiments, the edge latch 121e is designed to prevent the inner frame 112 from detaching in the Z-axis direction, and the auxiliary latch 121a is designed to limit the inner frame 112 to restrict button height. This effectively improves the durability of the edge latch 121e. Furthermore, to improve the assemblability between the scissor-type connecting assembly 110 and the base plate 120, in some embodiments, the auxiliary latch 121a has a shorter hook portion, making it easier to assemble the scissor-type connecting assembly 110 onto the base plate 120. The following details various embodiments of the inner frame 112 (with edge hooks 121e designed to prevent the inner frame 112 from detaching in the Z-axis direction, and auxiliary hooks 121a designed to limit the inner frame 112 to limit the button height), outer frame 114, the first hook 121, and the second hook 122 of the present invention.

[0058] Figure 5 and Figure 7 These are cross-sectional diagrams of the first axis of the inner frame and the corresponding edge hooks when the scissor-type connecting assembly is in the open and closed states, respectively. Figure 6 and Figure 8 These are cross-sectional diagrams of the first axis of the inner frame and the corresponding auxiliary hook when the scissor-type connecting assembly is in the open and closed states, respectively.

[0059] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, each of the two edge hooks 121e has a connecting surface 121c extending upward from the base plate 120 and an inner top surface 121t connecting the connecting surface 121c and extending outward; as Figure 6 As shown, the at least one auxiliary hook 121a has a connecting surface 121c extending upward from the base plate 120 and an inner top surface 121t connecting the connecting surface 121c and extending outward.

[0060] In some embodiments, such as Figure 5 As shown, the connecting surface 121c of the first edge hook 121e is provided to face the inner side surface 1121i of the edge portion 1121e of the first shaft. When the scissor-type connecting assembly 110 is in the open state, there is a distance between the connecting surface 121c and the inner side surface 1121i. That is to say, the connecting surface 121c of the first edge hook 121e will not touch the first shaft, so it will not restrict the opening angle of the inner frame 112, and will not restrict the button height.

[0061] In some embodiments, such as Figure 5 As shown, the inner top surface 121t of the two first edge hooks 121e is provided with an arc surface 1121a for connecting the inner surface 1121i of the edge portion 1121e of the first shaft. When the scissor-type connecting assembly 110 is in the open state, the length of a portion of the arc surface 1121a that contacts the inner top surface 121t is less than the length of the other portion of the arc surface 1121a that does not contact the inner top surface 121t. In some embodiments, when the scissor-type connecting assembly 110 is in the open state, the arc surface 1121a contacts a portion of the inner top surface 121t that is away from the connecting surface 121c but does not contact a portion of the inner top surface 121t that is adjacent to the connecting surface 121c.

[0062] In some embodiments, such as Figure 6 As shown, when the scissor-type connecting assembly 110 is in the open state, the connecting surface 121c of the first auxiliary hook 121a touches the middle section 1121m of the first shaft, thus limiting the opening angle of the inner frame 112 to limit the button height.

[0063] refer to Figure 2 and Figure 6Because the auxiliary hook 121a is designed to limit the inner frame 112, the middle section 1121m of the first axis of the inner frame 112 experiences a greater force when the keycap is pulled out. Therefore, in some embodiments, the middle section 1121m is thickened and / or the middle section 1121m is connected to the outer periphery 1122 to increase its strength. Thus, in some embodiments, such as... Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the thickness of the middle section 1121m of the first shaft is greater than the thickness of one of the two edge sections 1121e of the first shaft. In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 and Figure 6 As shown, the middle section 1121m of the first shaft 1121 is connected to the outer periphery 1122 of the inner frame 112, and the height of the outer periphery 1122 is greater than the height of the middle section 1121m. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and the shape and size of the outer periphery 1122 can be appropriately adjusted to improve the strength of the middle section 1121m.

[0064] However, it should be noted that the features of the edge hook and the auxiliary hook are interchangeable. In this case, the features of the middle section and the edge section of the shaft that mates with them also need to be interchanged to achieve the corresponding function. That is, in other embodiments, the edge hook can be designed to limit the inner frame to restrict the button height, and the auxiliary hook can be designed to prevent the inner frame from detaching in the Z-axis direction. Therefore, the structure of the edge hook can be, for example, as follows: Figure 6 The structure of the auxiliary hook 121a can be described as follows: Figure 6 In an embodiment of the auxiliary hook 121a, the structure of the auxiliary hook can be, for example, as follows: Figure 5 The edge hook 121e has a structure, and its embodiments can be like... Figure 5 An embodiment of the edge hook 121e. In this way, when the keycap is pulled out, the edge of the first axis of the inner frame experiences greater force, so the edge can be thickened and / or connected to the outer perimeter to increase its strength. In other embodiments, the structure of the edge of the first axis can be, for example, as follows: Figure 6 The structure of the middle section 1121m. In other embodiments, the thickness of the edge section is greater than the thickness of the middle section. In other embodiments, the edge section is connected to the outer perimeter section, and the height of the outer perimeter section is greater than the height of the edge section.

[0065] Figure 9 and Figure 11 These are cross-sectional diagrams of the second axis of the outer frame and the corresponding edge hooks when the scissor-type connecting assembly is in the open and closed states, respectively. Figure 10 and Figure 12 These are cross-sectional diagrams of the second axis of the outer frame and the corresponding auxiliary hook when the scissor-type connecting assembly is in the open and closed states, respectively.

[0066] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4and Figure 9 As shown, each of the two edge hooks 122e has a connecting surface 122c extending upward from the base plate 120 and an inner top surface 122t connecting to the connecting surface 122c and extending outward; as Figure 10 As shown, the at least one auxiliary hook 122a has a connecting surface 122c extending upward from the base plate 120 and an inner top surface 122t connecting the connecting surface 122c and extending outward.

[0067] refer to Figure 3 and Figure 10 In some embodiments, the middle section 1141m is thickened and / or the middle section 1141m is connected to the outer periphery 1142 to increase its strength. Therefore, in some embodiments, such as Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, the thickness of the middle section 1141m of the second shaft is greater than the thickness of one of the two edge sections 1141e of the first shaft. In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 and Figure 10 As shown, the middle section 1141m of the second shaft is connected to the outer periphery 1142 of the outer frame 114, and the height of the outer periphery 1142 is greater than the height of the middle section 1141m. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment; the shape and size of the outer periphery 1142 can be appropriately adjusted to improve the strength of the middle section 1141m. In other embodiments, the edge of the second shaft can be thickened or the edge of the second shaft can be connected to the outer periphery of the second shaft to improve its strength.

[0068] However, the above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. Any simple equivalent changes and modifications made in accordance with the claims and description of the invention are still within the scope of this patent. Furthermore, no embodiment or claim of the present invention needs to achieve all the objectives, advantages, or features disclosed in the present invention. In addition, the abstract and title are merely for assisting in patent document searches and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A button assembly structure, comprising: A scissor-type connecting assembly includes an inner frame and an outer frame configured to swing relative to each other, wherein the inner frame has a first axis and the outer frame has a second axis; as well as A base plate is disposed below the scissor-type connecting assembly and has a set of first hooks corresponding to the first shaft and a set of second hooks corresponding to the second shaft. The set of first hooks or the set of second hooks includes two edge hooks and at least one auxiliary hook, which extends outward and is configured to engage with two edge portions and a middle portion of the corresponding first shaft or the second shaft, respectively, with the middle portion located between the two edge portions.

2. The button assembly structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thickness of the middle section of the first shaft is greater than the thickness of one of the two edge sections of the first shaft.

3. The button assembly structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the middle section or one of the two edge sections of the first shaft is connected to a peripheral section of the inner frame, and the height of the peripheral section is greater than the height of the middle section or one of the two edge sections.

4. The button assembly structure as described in claim 1, wherein the first hook group includes two first edge hooks and at least one first auxiliary hook, one of the two first edge hooks or the at least one first auxiliary hook has a connecting surface that extends upward from the base plate and is provided with an inner side surface facing one of the two edge portions or the middle portion of the first shaft, wherein when the scissor-type connecting assembly is in the open state, the connecting surface and the inner side surface are separated by a distance.

5. The button assembly structure as claimed in claim 4, wherein one of the two first edge hooks or the at least one first auxiliary hook further has an inner top surface that connects to the connecting surface and extends outward and is provided with an arc surface that connects to the inner surface of one of the two edge portions or the middle portion of the first shaft, wherein when the scissor-type connecting assembly is in the open state, a portion of the arc surface that contacts the inner top surface is less than the length of another portion of the arc surface that does not contact the inner top surface.

6. The button assembly structure as claimed in claim 4, wherein one of the two first edge hooks or the at least one first auxiliary hook further has an inner top surface that connects to the connecting surface and extends outward and is provided with an arc surface that connects to the inner side surface of one of the two edge portions or the middle portion of the first shaft, wherein when the scissor-type connecting assembly is in the open state, the arc surface contacts a portion of the inner top surface away from the connecting surface but does not contact a portion of the inner top surface adjacent to the connecting surface.

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