Keyboard key and electronic equipment

Abstract

The utility model provides a keyboard key and an electronic device, the keyboard key comprises a key shaft, a key cap, a housing, a magnet, an elastic member and an induction device, the magnet is provided with a through hole; the shaft core of the key shaft penetrates through the through hole and the elastic piece and is connected with the base of the shell; the shaft core is provided with a first position in the first direction, and when the sensing device detects that the shaft core is located at the first position, acting force in the first direction is provided for the shaft core. According to the keyboard key, the position of the shaft core is detected through the sensing device, the acting force in the first direction is provided for the shaft core, the keyboard key can obtain certain force feedback and vibration feedback effects in the using process, and the using effect of the keyboard key is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of computer equipment, in particular to a keyboard key and electronic equipment. Background Art

[0002] The mechanical keyboard keys currently available in the market cannot provide force feedback and vibration feedback effects during use, which affects the user experience. Utility Model Content

[0003] The utility model provides a keyboard key and an electronic device, so as to at least solve the problem that the keyboard keys in the prior art lack force feedback and vibration feedback effects, and improve the user experience.

[0004] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the utility model provides the following technical solution: a keyboard key, including a key shaft, a key cap, a shell, a magnet, an elastic member and a sensing device:

[0005] The magnet is provided with a through hole; the core of the key shaft passes through the through hole and the elastic member, and is connected to the base of the housing; the core has a first position in a first direction, and when the sensing device detects that the core is in the first position, a force is provided to the core along the first direction.

[0006] In one possible implementation, the sensing device includes a first sensor, a left coil and a right coil.

[0007] In one possible implementation, the left coil is mounted on a first inner side surface of the housing, and the right coil is mounted on a second inner side surface of the housing.

[0008] In one possible implementation, a height of the left coil is different from a height of the right coil.

[0009] In one possible implementation, when the shaft core is in a first position, the first sensor adjusts a first current of the left coil according to the first position, and / or the first sensor adjusts a second current of the right coil according to the first position;

[0010] The first magnetic field corresponding to the left coil and the second magnetic field corresponding to the right coil provide a force on the shaft core along the first direction.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the shaft core reciprocates in the first direction.

[0012] In one possible implementation manner, the magnet includes a first magnet and a second magnet, the first magnet is adjacent to the second magnet, the first magnet is located above the second magnet, and the magnetic properties of the first magnet and the second magnet are different.

[0013] In one possible implementation manner, the core of the key shaft is a multi-level magnetic material.

[0014] In one possible implementation manner, the housing further comprises a shaft cover, in which a through shaft hole is provided; the convex portion of the key shaft is located above the shaft cover and is used for setting the key cap.

[0015] In one possible implementation manner, the elastic member protrudes from the base of the housing along the first direction, and one end of the elastic member is connected to the base.

[0016] The utility model also provides the following technical solution: an electronic device, comprising a keyboard key as described in any one of the above-mentioned possible implementation modes.

[0017] In the above-mentioned keyboard keys, by installing a sensing device on the keyboard keys, the position of the shaft core can be detected. When the shaft core is in the first position, a force is provided to the shaft core along the first direction, so that the keyboard keys can obtain certain force feedback and key vibration feedback effects during use, thereby optimizing the performance and improving the use effect of the keyboard keys.

[0018] It should be understood that the contents described in this section are not intended to identify the key or important features of the embodiments of the present utility model, nor are they intended to limit the scope of the present utility model. Other features of the present utility model will become easily understood through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] By reading the detailed description below with reference to the accompanying drawings, the above and other objects, features and advantages of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention will become readily understood. In the accompanying drawings, several embodiments of the present invention are shown in an exemplary and non-limiting manner, wherein:

[0020] In the drawings, the same or corresponding reference numerals represent the same or corresponding parts.

[0021] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing the structure of the keyboard keys of an embodiment of the utility model is shown;

[0022] Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the decomposition structure of the keyboard keys;

[0023] Figure 3 Shows Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the central axis core at different positions in the first direction.

[0024] Description of the numbers in the figure:

[0025] In the figure: 10, key cap, 20, key shaft, 30, housing, 40, magnet, 50, elastic member, 60, sensing device, 21, convex portion, 22, shaft core, 31, shaft cover, 32, base, 61, first sensor, 62, left coil, 63, right coil. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] In order to make the purpose, features and advantages of the utility model more obvious and easy to understand, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the utility model will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the utility model. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the utility model, not all of them. Based on the embodiments of the utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work are within the scope of protection of the utility model.

[0027] It should be understood that the various forms of processes shown above can be used to reorder, add or delete steps. For example, the steps described in the present invention can be performed in parallel, sequentially or in different orders, as long as the desired results of the technical solution of the present invention can be achieved, and this document does not limit this.

[0028] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of the present utility model, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0029] Please also read Figure 1-Figure 2 The present embodiment provides a keyboard key, including a key cap 10, a key shaft 20, a housing 30, a magnet 40, an elastic member 50 and a sensing device 60. The housing 30 includes a shaft cover 31 and a base 32, and the elastic member 50 is assembled on the base 32. The magnet 40 is provided with a through hole, and the shaft core 22 of the key shaft 20 can pass through the through hole of the magnet 40 and the elastic member 50, and is connected to the base 32.

[0030] In the above keyboard key, a through shaft hole is provided in the shaft cover 31 of the housing 30, and a guide rail structure is provided in the shaft hole, and the guide rail structure is longitudinally parallel to the central axis of the shaft hole, for the shaft core 22 of the key shaft 20 to pass through; after the shaft core 22 passes through the shaft hole, it passes through the through hole of the magnet 40 and the elastic member 50 in sequence, and is connected to the base 32 of the housing 30. Among them, after the shaft core 22 passes through the through hole of the magnet 40, the shaft core 22 and the magnet 40 can be fixed by bonding, so that the movement direction and movement speed of the magnet 40 and the shaft core 22 are consistent.

[0031] In the above keyboard key, the protrusion 21 of the key shaft 20 is located above the shaft cover 31 and is used to set the key cap 10. The key cap 10 is detachably mounted on the protrusion 21.

[0032] In the above keyboard keys, the magnet 40 includes a first magnet and a second magnet. The first magnet and the second magnet are adjacent to each other. The first magnet is located above the second magnet. The magnetism of the first magnet is different from that of the second magnet. For example, the magnetism of the first magnet can be an S pole, and the magnetism of the second magnet can be an N pole.

[0033] In the above keyboard keys, the shaft core 22 of the key shaft 20 can be a multi-level magnetic material. The multi-level material design can enhance the magnetic response of the key shaft, thereby making the force feedback effect and vibration effect more precise and controllable, and realizing the force feedback key experience when the key is triggered.

[0034] In the above keyboard key, the elastic member 50 protrudes from the base 32 along the first direction, and one end of the elastic member 50 is connected to the base 32. As an example, the elastic member can be set as a spring.

[0035] In the above keyboard keys, the sensing device 60 includes a first sensor 61, a left coil 62 and a right coil 63. The first sensor 61 is mounted on the base 32, the left coil 62 is mounted on the first inner side of the housing 30, and the right coil 63 is mounted on the second inner side of the housing 30. The height of the left coil 62 is different from that of the right coil 63, that is, the distance between the left coil 62 and the base 32 is different from the distance between the right coil 63 and the base 32. The first inner side and the second inner side can be located at relative positions of the housing 30.

[0036] During the use of the keyboard key, when the keyboard key starts to move in the first direction under the action of an external force, the shaft core 22 has a first position in the first direction. The first direction is a vertical direction, and the first position of the shaft core can represent the position of the top of the shaft core 22 in the first direction when the keyboard key moves in the first direction. The six travel stages are travel stages under ideal conditions, including all possible position states in the actual movement process.

[0037] During the use of the above keyboard keys, when the first sensor 61 in the sensing device 60 detects that the shaft core 22 is in the first position, the first sensor 61 can adjust the first current of the left coil 62 according to the first position, and adjust the second current of the right coil 63 according to the first position; or the first sensor 61 can adjust the first current of the left coil 62 according to the first position; or the first sensor 61 can adjust the second current of the right coil 63 according to the first position. Among them, the first sensor can be a Hall sensor, such as a 3D linear Hall sensor, which can detect the position of the shaft core while eliminating the magnetic field interference generated by the coil; the first sensor can adjust the first current and the second current by adjusting the current size and current direction. Taking the left coil 62 as an example, the first sensor 61 can adjust at least one of the direction and size of the first current in the left coil 62 according to the first position, thereby adjusting the first current in the left coil 62.

[0038] During the use of the above keyboard keys, the schematic diagram of the shaft core 22 in different positions in the first direction can be as follows: Figure 3 As shown, when the shaft core 22 moves from top to bottom in the first direction, it passes through the first stroke stage, the second stroke stage, the third stroke stage, the fourth stroke stage, the fifth stroke stage and the sixth stroke stage in sequence, then after the first sensor 61 adjusts the first current of the left coil 62 and the second current of the right coil 63, the magnetic field corresponding to the left coil 62 and the magnetic field corresponding to the right coil 63 will change accordingly. Correspondingly, Table 1 shows the magnetic changes of the left coil 62 and the right coil 63 when the shaft core 22 is at different positions in the first direction.

[0039] As shown in Table 1, when the first position is in the first stroke stage, the first sensor 61 adjusts the current magnitude of the left coil 62 to 0, and adjusts the current direction of the right coil 63. After adjustment, the magnetism of the left coil 62 is 0, and the magnetism of the right coil 63 is S; when the first position is in the second stroke stage, the first sensor 61 adjusts the current magnitude and current direction of the left coil 62. After adjustment, the magnetism of the left coil 62 is adjusted to S; when the first position is in the third stroke stage, the first sensor 61 adjusts the current magnitude of the right coil 63 to 0. After adjustment, the magnetism of the right coil 63 is Adjust to 0; when the first position is in the fourth stroke stage, the first sensor 61 adjusts the current size of the left coil 62 to 0, and adjusts the current direction of the right coil 63. After adjustment, the magnetism of the left coil 62 is 0, and the magnetism of the right coil 63 is N; when the first position is in the fifth stroke stage, the first sensor 61 adjusts the current size and current direction of the left coil 62. After adjustment, the magnetism of the left coil 62 is N; when the first position is in the sixth stroke stage, the first sensor 61 adjusts the current size of the right coil 63 to 0. After adjustment, the magnetism of the right coil 63 is N.

[0040] Table 1

[0041] Travel stage Left coil 62 magnetic Right coil 63 magnetic First stage of the journey 0 S Second stage of the journey S S The third stage of the journey S 0 Fourth stage 0 N Fifth stage N N Sixth stage N 0

[0042] During the use of the above keyboard keys, after the first sensor 61 adjusts the first current of the left coil 62 and / or the second current of the right coil 63 according to the first position of the shaft core 22, the first magnetic field corresponding to the left coil 62 and the second magnetic field corresponding to the right coil 63 can provide a force along the first direction to the shaft core 22. The magnitude of the force is the combined force of the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field on the shaft core 22.

[0043] As an example, Figure 3 For example, in the first stage, the first magnetic field of the left coil 62 is 0, and the first magnetic field direction of the right coil 63 is to the right. According to the right-hand spiral rule, the first magnetic field corresponding to the left coil 62 and the second magnetic field corresponding to the right coil 63 can provide a downward force on the shaft core 22 along the first direction.

[0044] During the use of the above keyboard keys, when the keyboard keys move downward or upward in the first direction, the direction of the elastic force of the elastic member 50 is always upward, and the direction of the force from the first magnetic field corresponding to the left coil 62 and the second magnetic field corresponding to the right coil 63 is related to the first position of the shaft core 22, which may be upward or downward. If the direction of the force from the left coil 62 and the right coil 63 is upward during the downward movement of the keyboard keys in the first direction, the force provides an additional upward force for the keyboard keys. At this time, a downward force needs to be applied to make the keys move downward. Therefore, the force can provide a certain damping effect for the keyboard keys and increase the touch of the keys during use; if the force from the left coil 62 and the right coil 63 is downward during the downward movement of the keyboard keys in the first direction, the force provides an additional downward force for the keyboard keys. At this time, a relatively easy key effect can be achieved with a very small force, and the keys are lighter. Therefore, when the shaft core moves in the first direction, the first sensor 61 continuously adjusts the force applied to the shaft core along the first direction, so that the key can be pressed more easily at the appropriate position, and a faster response speed can be obtained, thereby improving the user experience. At the same time, the key can have a certain damping feeling at the appropriate position. The force feedback generated by the damping feeling can make the keyboard keys more stable, avoid large rebound or vibration when the keys are pressed, and reduce the possibility of accidentally touching the keys, thereby improving the comfort of pressing the keys.

[0045] As an example, when the shaft core 22 is in the first stage, the first sensor 61 adjusts the first current of the left coil 62 and the second current of the right coil 63 to provide the shaft core 22 with a downward force along the first direction. At this time, the keyboard can be easily pressed based on a very small force; when the shaft core 22 is in the transition process from the first stage to the sixth stage, the first sensor 61 adjusts the first current and the second current to achieve that the first magnetic field of the left coil 62 and the second magnetic field of the right coil 63 provide the shaft core 22 with a downward force along the first direction gradually decreases. When the shaft core 22 is in the fourth stage, the first sensor 61 adjusts the first current and the second current to achieve that the first magnetic field of the left coil 62 and the second magnetic field of the right coil 63 provide the shaft core 22 with a combined force upward along the first direction. At this time, the keyboard keys obtain a certain damping feeling. The force feedback generated by the damping feeling can make the keyboard keys require a certain force to be applied to press the keys, thereby increasing the tactile feel of the keys.

[0046] During the use of the above keyboard keys, the force of the elastic member 50 on the keys is always upward along the first direction, and the direction of the force from the first magnetic field of the left coil 62 and the second magnetic field of the right coil 63 on the keyboard keys may be different based on the first position of the shaft core 22, and the direction of the force may be upward or downward. If the keyboard keys are subjected to an upward force during the downward movement along the first direction, the force can provide an additional upward force for the keyboard keys. Since the direction of the elastic force of the elastic member 50 is always upward, the combined force of the force and the spring elastic force can drive the shaft core 22 to move upward; when the keyboard keys are subjected to a downward force from the first magnetic field of the left coil 62 and the second magnetic field of the right coil 63 during the downward movement along the first direction, the force can provide an additional downward force for the keyboard keys. When the additional downward force is greater than the upward elastic force of the spring, the shaft core 22 can be driven downward. Therefore, by adjusting the first sensor 61, the shaft core 22 can reciprocate upward and downward in the first direction during the use of the keyboard keys, so that the keyboard keys can produce a vibration feedback effect, providing tactile feedback, allowing the user to feel the triggering and releasing process of the keys during use, enriching the interactive experience during use.

[0047] During the use of the above-mentioned keyboard keys, unified management of the keyboard keys can also be achieved based on a microcontroller unit (MCU). If the signal corresponding to the keyboard key is a switch signal, when the first sensor 61 detects that the shaft core 22 is in the first position, the first position is linearly output to the microcontroller, and the microcontroller determines the switch signal based on the value of the first position, and outputs the determination result to the client; if the signal corresponding to the keyboard key is a digital signal, when the first sensor 61 detects that the shaft core 22 is in the first position, the first position is linearly output to the microcontroller, and the microcontroller determines the digital signal based on the value of the first position, and outputs the determination result to the client. The closed loop of position control is realized by feeding back the value output by the first sensor 61 to the microcontroller to realize position control.

[0048] During use, the above-mentioned keyboard keys can adopt two power supply modes: Universal Serial Bus (USB) power supply and battery charging, which can meet the various needs of users in different scenarios. Power supply management can be performed through the charging path management module, such as charging the battery under normal circumstances, but discharging the battery when the current consumed is greater than the current provided by the USB. At the same time, power saving management of keyboard keys can be achieved. For example, it can be determined whether the keyboard is in use. If the keyboard keys are in use, the sensing device continuously detects the position of the shaft core 22 and provides a force on the shaft core 22 in the first direction based on the left coil 62 and the right coil 63; if the keyboard keys are not in use, the power saving mode is entered, and no current passes through the left coil 62 and the right coil 63.

[0049] This embodiment provides an electronic device, which may be a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a game console, etc., but is not limited thereto, and includes a keyboard key having the above structure. The keyboard keys in the electronic device use technologies such as a microcontroller and a coil driver, which can achieve key force feedback and vibration feedback effects during the key pressing process, thereby enhancing the user's interactive experience. At the same time, it also has USB power supply and charging path management functions, so that the electronic device can meet the various needs of users in different scenarios, and has strong market competitiveness and application prospects.

[0050] The above is only a specific implementation of the utility model, but the protection scope of the utility model is not limited thereto. Any technician familiar with the technical field can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed by the utility model, which should be included in the protection scope of the utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of the utility model should be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A keyboard key, comprising a key shaft, a key cap and a housing, characterized in that: include: A magnet, an elastic member and an induction device, wherein the magnet is provided with a through hole, the shaft core of the key shaft passes through the through hole and the elastic member, and is connected to the base of the shell; the shaft core has a first position in a first direction, and when the induction device detects that the shaft core is in the first position, a force is provided to the shaft core along the first direction.

2. The keyboard key according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sensing device includes a first sensor, a left coil and a right coil.

3. The keyboard key according to claim 2, characterized in that: The left coil is installed on the first inner side of the shell, and the right coil is installed on the second inner side of the shell; the height of the left coil is different from the height of the right coil.

4. The keyboard key according to claim 2, characterized in that: When the shaft core is in a first position, the first sensor adjusts the first current of the left coil according to the first position, and / or the first sensor adjusts the second current of the right coil according to the first position; the first magnetic field corresponding to the left coil and the second magnetic field corresponding to the right coil provide a force on the shaft core along the first direction.

5. The keyboard key according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shaft core reciprocates in the first direction.

6. The keyboard key according to claim 1, characterized in that: The magnet includes a first magnet and a second magnet. The first magnet is adjacent to the second magnet. The first magnet is located above the second magnet. The magnetism of the first magnet is different from that of the second magnet.

7. The keyboard key according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shaft core of the key shaft is a multi-level magnetic material.

8. The keyboard key according to claim 1, characterized in that: The housing also includes a shaft cover, in which a through shaft hole is provided; the convex portion of the key shaft is located above the shaft cover and is used for arranging the key cap.

9. The keyboard key according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic member protrudes from the base of the housing along the first direction, and one end of the elastic member is connected to the base.

10. An electronic device, characterized in that: The invention comprises a keyboard key as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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