Keycap supporting mechanism and multiple key key structure
By designing a keycap support mechanism including an outer bracket and an inner bracket, the problem of multiple keycaps being difficult to move up and down smoothly in the prior art is solved, stable support and high rigidity are achieved, and suitable for thin designs.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202420921007.6
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-04-29
- Publication Date
- 2025-03-21
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-04-29
AI Technical Summary
The existing mechanical key structure is difficult to achieve smooth up and down movement on the multiple key caps, and is prone to skew, resulting in poor triggering of the key switch, and the components are not rigid enough under the thinner design, making the problem even more serious.
A keycap support mechanism is designed, including an outer bracket and an inner bracket, which is pivotally connected to each other by a rotating shaft. The inner bracket contains reinforcements to enhance structural rigidity and simplify the assembly process by a smaller number of brackets.
It realizes stable support of the multiple key cap in the vertical direction, avoids skew, improves the trigger reliability of the key switch, and is suitable for thinner design, simplifying the production process.
Smart Images
Figure CN222653836U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The utility model relates to a key structure, in particular to a multiple key key structure and a key cap supporting mechanism. Background Art
[0002] The main structure of the current mechanical key structure is to connect a lifting mechanism between the keycap and the base plate so that the keycap can move up and down relative to the base plate. The stability of the keycap actuation, including the actuation stroke and smoothness, usually depends on the lifting mechanism. When the actuation stability of the lifting mechanism itself is poor, the keycap is also difficult to actuate smoothly. For multi-size keys, such as the space bar, Enter, Shift, CapsLock, Ctrl key, etc., multiple lifting mechanisms are generally used to support the keycap together. In this architecture, each lifting mechanism is actuated independently. When the keycap is pressed, the keycap is not easy to move horizontally up and down, and it is easy to tilt, causing poor triggering of the key switch. In this regard, a balance bar can be added, which is independent of the lifting mechanism and connected to the keycap and the base plate to improve the horizontality of the keycap when it moves up and down. However, the setting of the balance bar reduces the setting space of the lifting mechanism, so it may affect the structural rigidity and actuation stability of the lifting mechanism itself to a certain extent. In addition, the general lifting mechanism is made of plastic. When the button adopts a thin design, its component structures will also be thinner, resulting in insufficient rigidity of the components themselves, and the above-mentioned problems will become more serious. Utility Model Content
[0003] In view of the problems in the prior art, the utility model provides a key cap supporting mechanism and a multiple key pressing structure to solve the above problems.
[0004] Therefore, the technical problem to be solved by the utility model is to provide a keycap supporting mechanism, which is used to support the keycaps of multiple keys on the bottom plate in the vertical direction, and the keycaps of multiple keys extend longitudinally in a long side direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, and the keycap supporting mechanism as a whole extends longitudinally in the long side direction, and the keycap supporting mechanism comprises:
[0005] External support; and
[0006] The inner bracket is pivotally connected to the outer bracket and the inner bracket around a rotation axis, the rotation axis is parallel to the long side direction, the outer bracket is arranged around the inner bracket, the inner bracket includes a first bracket body and a first reinforcement, the first reinforcement is embedded in the first bracket body, the first reinforcement runs through the first bracket body in the long side direction, the inner bracket defines a first side connection section on both sides in the long side direction, each first side connection section includes at least one bottom plate connection portion and at least one key cap connection portion, and the first reinforcement extends into the two first side connection sections.
[0007] As an optional technical solution, in one of the first side connection sections, the sum of the number of the at least one base plate connection portion and the at least one key cap connection portion is greater than or equal to 3.
[0008] As an optional technical solution, the inner bracket further includes a second reinforcement member, which is embedded in the first bracket body and extends into the two first side connection sections.
[0009] As an optional technical solution, the first reinforcement member and the second reinforcement member are located on both sides of the rotation axis.
[0010] As an optional technical solution, the first reinforcement member and the second reinforcement member are structurally symmetrical with respect to the rotation axis.
[0011] As an optional technical solution, the first reinforcement member is exposed from the first bracket body to connect the first bracket body and the multiple key keycap.
[0012] As an optional technical solution, the first reinforcement member has at least one bending portion, and the at least one bending portion is located in one of the first side connecting sections.
[0013] As an optional technical solution, the inner bracket defines a first middle connecting section in the long side direction, the first middle connecting section is located between the two first side connecting sections in the long side direction, and the first middle connecting section includes a base plate connecting portion or a key cap connecting portion.
[0014] As an optional technical solution, the outer bracket includes a second bracket body and a third reinforcement, the third reinforcement is embedded in the second bracket body, the elastic modulus of the third reinforcement is greater than the elastic modulus of the second bracket body, and a second side connection section is defined on each side in the long side direction, each second side connection section includes at least one base plate connection portion and at least one key cap connection portion, and the third reinforcement extends into the two second side connection sections.
[0015] As an optional technical solution, the outer bracket defines a second intermediate connecting section in the long side direction, the second intermediate connecting section is located between the two second side connecting sections in the long side direction, the second intermediate connecting section includes a keycap connecting portion, and the third reinforcement member exposes a portion of the second bracket body in the second intermediate connecting section as the keycap connecting portion.
[0016] The utility model also provides a multiple key structure, which comprises:
[0017] Base plate;
[0018] A multiple key keycap, the multiple key keycap extending longitudinally in the long side direction; and
[0019] The keycap supporting mechanism as described above supports the multiple key keycap on the base plate in a vertical direction, wherein the vertical direction is perpendicular to the long side direction, and the outer bracket and the inner bracket are both connected between the base plate and the multiple key keycap, wherein in each first side connecting section, the at least one base plate connecting portion is connected to the base plate, and the at least one keycap connecting portion is connected to the multiple key keycap.
[0020] In the present invention, compared with the key structure design of the prior art that adds a balance bar in addition to the lifting mechanism, the multiple key key structure uses a smaller number of brackets, which can simplify the assembly process and increase the product production speed. In addition, in the multiple key key structure, the structurally reinforced outer bracket and inner bracket do not need to increase the thickness to improve the structural rigidity, so the multiple key key structure can also be suitable for thin design.
[0021] The present invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, but is not intended to limit the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a multiple key structure according to an embodiment.
[0023] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Exploded diagram of the structure of the medium-multiple key.
[0024] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Exploded view of the middle keycap support mechanism.
[0025] Figure 4 for Figure 2 A top view of the inner bracket of the middle key cap support mechanism.
[0026] Figure 5 for Figure 2 Enlarged view of circle A in the middle.
[0027] Figure 6 for Figure 2 Enlarged view of circle B in the middle.
[0028] Figure 7 for Figure 2 A top view of the outer bracket of the middle key cap support mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0029] In order to provide a further understanding of the purpose, structure, features and functions of the present invention, the present invention is described in detail below with reference to the embodiments.
[0030] See also Figures 1 to 3 , Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a multiple key structure according to an embodiment, Figure 2 for Figure 1 Exploded diagram of the structure of the middle multiple key. Figure 3 for Figure 2 Exploded diagram of the keycap support mechanism. According to an embodiment of the multiple key key structure 1, it includes a base plate 10, a multiple key keycap 12, a keycap support mechanism 14, a switch circuit board 16 and an elastic member 18. The multiple key keycap 12 extends longitudinally in the long side direction D1 (i.e., the direction parallel to the long side, indicated by a double-sided arrow in the figure), and the keycap support mechanism 14 as a whole also extends longitudinally in the long side direction D1. The keycap support mechanism 14 is connected between the multiple key keycap 12 and the base plate 10 to support the multiple key keycap 12 on the base plate 10 in the vertical direction D2 (indicated by a double-sided arrow in the figure). The long side direction D1, the short side direction D3 (i.e., the direction parallel to the short side of the multiple key keycap 12, indicated by a double-sided arrow in the figure) are perpendicular to each other with the vertical direction D2. The switch circuit board 16 is superimposed on the base plate 10, and the switch circuit board 16 has a switch 16a (indicated by a hatched circle in the figure). Figure 1 ); the switch circuit board 16 may be made of, but not limited to, a thin film circuit board (in actual operation, the switch circuit board 16 may be a three-layer structure, with switch circuits formed on the upper and lower layers, and an insulating layer sandwiched between the upper and lower layers). The elastic member 18 is arranged on the switch circuit board 16 corresponding to the switch 16a and passes through the keycap support mechanism 14 (its opening 140a). The elastic member 18 may be, but not limited to, a rubber protrusion. The multiple key keycap 12 may move up and down relative to the base plate 10 via the keycap support mechanism 14. The multiple key keycap 12 may be pressed down to squeeze the elastic member 18 to trigger the switch 16a. The rebound force generated by the elastically deformed elastic member 18 may push the multiple key keycap 12 upward to return to its original position. In addition, in actual operation, an elastic member (passing through the opening 140b) may also be arranged on the switch circuit board 16 corresponding to the openings 140b on both sides of the keycap support mechanism 14, and may also be squeezed by the multiple key keycap 12 to generate a rebound force to reset the multiple key keycap 12. In addition, the switch circuit board 16 may also have switches corresponding to these elastic members so as to be triggered by the elastic members.
[0031] In addition, in this embodiment, the keycap support mechanism 14 includes an outer support 142 and an inner support 144. The outer support 142 and the inner support 144 are pivotally connected to each other around a rotation axis 14a (indicated by a chain line in the figure), and the outer support 142 is arranged around the inner support 144, and the rotation axis 14a is parallel to the long side direction D1. The outer support 142 and the inner support 144 are respectively connected between the multiple key caps 12 and the bottom plate 10. Figures 2 to 6 , Figure 4 for Figure 2 A top view of the inner bracket of the middle key cap support mechanism, Figure 5 for Figure 2 The enlarged view of the circle A in the middle, Figure 6 for Figure 2The inner support 144 includes a first support body 1442, a first reinforcement member 1444 and a second reinforcement member 1446 (in Figure 3 and Figure 4 , the hidden outlines of the first reinforcement member 1444 and the second reinforcement member 1446 are drawn with dotted lines). The first bracket body 1442 forms openings 140a and 140b. The first reinforcement member 144 is embedded in the first bracket body 1442, and the elastic modulus of the first reinforcement member 144 is greater than the elastic modulus of the first bracket body 1442, so that the first reinforcement member 1444 can improve the overall structural rigidity of the inner bracket 144 relative to the first bracket body 1442, that is, improve the overall structural rigidity of the keycap support mechanism 14. In actual operation, for example, the first bracket body 1442 can be a polymer (such as but not limited to thermoplastic plastic), the first reinforcement member 1444 and the second reinforcement member 1446 can be metal rods (such as but not limited to stainless steel rods, copper rods), and the combination of the first bracket body 1442 and the first reinforcement member 1444 and the second reinforcement member 1446 can be achieved by embedded injection molding.
[0032] The inner bracket 144 defines a first side connection section 144a (indicated by a dotted frame in the figure) at each end in the long side direction D1, and the inner bracket 144 also defines a first middle connection section 144b (indicated by a dotted frame in the figure) in the long side direction D1, and the first middle connection section 144b is located between the two first side connection sections 144a in the long side direction D1. The inner bracket 144 is connected to the bottom plate 10 and the keycap 12 of the multiple key via the first side connection section 144a and the first middle connection section 144b. Each of the first side connection sections 144a includes two bottom plate connection parts 144c and two keycap connection parts 144d, the bottom plate connection part 144c is connected to the bottom plate 10 (the connection structure 102), and the keycap connection part 144d is connected to the keycap 12 of the multiple key (the connection structure 122). The first intermediate connecting section 144b includes two keycap connecting portions 144e, and the keycap connecting portions 144e are connected to (the connecting structure 124 of) the multiple keycap 12. In actual operation, the number of the bottom plate connecting portion 144c and the keycap connecting portions 144d and 144e in the first side connecting section 144a and the second side connecting section 144b of the inner bracket 144 depends on the design and is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the sum of the number of the bottom plate connecting portion 144c and the keycap connecting portion 144d of the first side connecting section 144a is greater than or equal to 3. For another example, the intermediate connecting section 144b also includes a bottom plate connecting portion.
[0033] In addition, in the inner bracket 144, the first reinforcement member 1444 and the second reinforcement member 1446 are distributed substantially along a direction extending parallel to the long side direction D1, and the first reinforcement member 1444 and the second reinforcement member 1446 pass through the first middle connection section 144b and extend into the first side connection section 144a. This structural configuration helps to improve the consistency of the structural rigidity of the inner bracket 144 in the long side direction D1, and also helps the inner bracket 144 to effectively transfer stress in the long side direction D1. In addition, this structural configuration can also directly increase the structural rigidity of the inner bracket 144 at the first side connection section 144a and the first middle connection section 144b, so as to improve the stability of the connection between the inner bracket 144 and the bottom plate 10 and the keycap 12 of the multiple key. In this embodiment, the first reinforcement member 1444 and the second reinforcement member 1446 are located on both sides of the rotation axis 14a, so that the structural reinforcement of the inner bracket 144 by the first reinforcement member 1444 and the second reinforcement member 1446 extends to its four corners. This structural configuration helps to improve the consistency of the structural rigidity of the inner bracket 144, so that the upper and lower sides of the first bracket body 1442 (i.e., the side connected to the multiplier key keycap 12 and the side connected to the base plate 10) have a structural reinforcement effect, which helps to improve the reinforcement level of the base plate connection part 144c and the keycap connection parts 144d and 144e of the first side connecting section 144a and the first middle connecting section 144b, so as to further improve the stability of the connection between the inner bracket 144 and the base plate 10 and the multiplier key keycap 12.
[0034] In addition, in this embodiment, the first reinforcement member 1444 and the second reinforcement member 1446 are made of the same material and are symmetrical in structure relative to the rotation axis 14a, but this is not limited to the actual operation. In addition, in the inner bracket 144, the first reinforcement member 1444 has bending portions 1444a at multiple locations, so that the first reinforcement member 1444 does not extend in a single straight direction. This structure can increase the reinforcement effect on the first bracket body 1442. The bending portion 1444a surrounds at least a portion of the outer periphery of the opening 140a, which can reduce the influence of the opening 140a on the structural strength of the inner bracket 144. In addition, the first side connection section 144a and the middle connection section 144b are both provided with the bending portion 1444a, which can further enhance the degree of reinforcement of the first side connection section 144a and the middle connection section 144b, and also enhance the stability of the connection between the inner bracket 144 and the bottom plate 10 and the keycap 12 of the multiple key. The bent portion 1444a is also disposed adjacent to the opening 140b, which can also reduce the effect of the opening 140b on the structural strength of the inner bracket 144. In addition, the second reinforcing member 1446 has the same situation, which will not be described in detail. In addition, at the opening 140a, the bent portion 1444a of the first reinforcing member 1444 and the bent portion 1446a of the second reinforcing member 1446 are disposed together around the opening 140a, which helps to strengthen the inner bracket 144 in the short side direction D3 (reference Figure 2Therefore, the first reinforcing member 1444 and the second reinforcing member 1446 integrally strengthen the structure of the inner bracket 144, and during the process of pressing the multiplication key cap 12, the inner bracket 144 can smoothly transmit force in the long side direction D1 and the short side direction D3 without deformation.
[0035] In addition, in this embodiment, the bottom plate 10 can be a metal plate, and the multiple key caps 12 can be a polymer (e.g., thermoplastic). The bottom plate connection portion 144c of the inner bracket 144 is mainly formed by the first bracket body 1442, so the bottom plate connection portion 144c is softer than the bottom plate 10 (connection structure 102), and the relative sliding, rotation, and friction between the two will not produce obvious sound in principle. In actual operation, the bottom plate connection portion 144c can also be formed by the first reinforcement member 1444 and the first bracket body 1442 together, for example, the first reinforcement member 1444 forms a rod portion for connecting with the connection structure 102 of the bottom plate 10, and the outer surface of the rod portion is covered with the first bracket body 1442, so that the bottom plate connection portion 144c in contact with the connection structure 102 of the bottom plate 10 is still a polymer, so in principle, no obvious sound will be produced during relative sliding, rotation, and friction. This structural configuration can also increase the structural strength of the bottom plate connecting portion 144 c, which is beneficial to the stable connection between the bottom plate connecting portion 144 c and the connecting structure 102 of the bottom plate 10 .
[0036] In addition, the keycap connecting parts 144d and 144e of the inner bracket 144 are also mainly formed by the first bracket body 1442. The keycap connecting parts 144d and 144e slide, rotate, and rub against the multiple key keycap 12 (connection structures 122 and 124) in principle, and no obvious sound is generated. Similarly, in actual operation, the keycap connecting parts 144d and 144e can also be formed by the second reinforcement member 1446 and the first bracket body 1442 together. For example, the second reinforcement member 1446 forms a rod for connecting with the connection structure 102 of the bottom plate 10, and the outer surface of the rod is covered with the first bracket body 1442, so that the keycap connecting parts 144d and 144e in contact with the connection structures 122 and 124 of the multiple key keycap 12 are still polymers, so in principle, no obvious sound is generated when sliding, rotating, and rubbing against each other. This structural configuration can increase the structural strength of the keycap connecting parts 144d and 144e, which is beneficial to the stable connection between the keycap connecting parts 144d and 144e and the connection structures 122 and 124 of the multiple key keycap 12. In addition, in actual operation, the keycap connecting parts 144d and 144e can be directly formed by the second reinforcement member 1446. Although the keycap connecting parts 144d and 144e are harder than the connection structure 102 of the multiple key keycap 12, in principle, no obvious sound will be generated when the two slide / rotate and rub against each other. Similarly, the structural strength of the keycap connecting parts 144d and 144e can be increased, which is beneficial to the stable connection between the keycap connecting parts 144d and 144e and the connection structures 122 and 124 of the multiple key keycap 12. In addition, in actual operation, in the inner bracket 144 , the first reinforcement member 1444 and the second reinforcement member 1446 may also be directly connected to each other to form a single reinforcement member, such as a ring-shaped one, which can also provide the effect of strengthening the structure of the inner bracket 144 .
[0037] See also Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figures 5 to 7 , Figure 7 for Figure 2 A top view of the outer bracket of the middle key cap support mechanism. In this embodiment, the outer bracket 142 includes a second bracket body 1422 and a third reinforcement member 1424 (in Figure 3 and Figure 7, its hidden outline is shown in dotted lines), the third reinforcement member 1424 is embedded in the second bracket body 1422, and the elastic modulus of the third reinforcement member 1424 is greater than the elastic modulus of the second bracket body 1422, so that the third reinforcement member 1424 can improve the overall structural rigidity of the outer bracket 142 relative to the second bracket body 1422, that is, improve the overall structural rigidity of the keycap support mechanism 14. In actual operation, for example, the second bracket body 1422 can be a polymer (such as but not limited to thermoplastic plastic), the third reinforcement member 1424 can be a metal rod (such as but not limited to a stainless steel rod, a copper rod), and the combination of the second bracket body 1422 and the third reinforcement member 1424 can be achieved by embedding injection.
[0038] The outer bracket 142 defines a second side connection section 142a (indicated by a dotted frame in the figure) on both sides in the long side direction D1, and the outer bracket 142 also defines a second middle connection section 142b (indicated by a dotted frame in the figure) in the long side direction D1, and the second middle connection section 142b is located between the two second side connection sections 142a in the long side direction D1. The outer bracket 142 is connected to the bottom plate 10 and the multiple key keycap 12 via the second side connection section 142a and the second middle connection section 142b. Each second side connection section 142a includes a bottom plate connection portion 142c and a keycap connection portion 142d, the bottom plate connection portion 142c is connected to the bottom plate 10 (the connection structure 104), and the keycap connection portion 142d is connected to the multiple key keycap 12 (the connection structure 126). The second middle connecting section 142b includes two keycap connecting parts 142e and two bottom plate connecting parts 142f. The keycap connecting part 142e is connected to (the connecting structure 128 of) the multiple key keycap 12, and the bottom plate connecting part 142f is connected to (the connecting structure 106 of) the bottom plate 10. Similar to the inner bracket 144, in actual operation, the number of bottom plate connecting parts 124c, 142f and keycap connecting parts 142d, 142e in each section 142a, 142b is determined by the design and will not be described in detail.
[0039] In addition, in the outer bracket 142, the third reinforcement member 1424 extends generally parallel to the long side direction D1, and the third reinforcement member 1424 passes through the second middle connection section 142b and extends into the second side connection section 142a. This structural configuration helps to improve the consistency of the structural rigidity of the outer bracket 142 in the long side direction D1, and also helps the outer bracket 142 to effectively transmit force in the long side direction D1. The third reinforcement member 1424 has a bending portion 1424a at both ends in the long side direction D1, so that the third reinforcement member 1424 does not only extend in a single straight direction. This structural configuration can increase the strengthening effect of the second bracket body 1422. Among them, the bending portion 1424a is located at the corner of the outer bracket 142, so the bending portion 1424a has the function of strengthening the structural strength of the area. When the corner of the multiple key keycap 12 corresponding to the bent portion 1424a is pressed, the bent portion 1424a can make the outer bracket 142 effectively transmit the force in the long side direction D1 and the short side direction D3 synchronously without losing the pressing force due to deformation. In addition, in this embodiment, the bent portion 1424a is located in the second side connection section 142a and is adjacent to the keycap connection portion 142d, so the structural rigidity of the keycap connection portion 142d can be increased, and the stability of the connection between the outer bracket 142 and the multiple key keycap 12 is improved.
[0040] In addition, in the outer bracket 142, the bottom plate connection parts 142c, 142f and the key cap connection part 142d are mainly formed by the second bracket body 1422, so the relative sliding, rotation and friction between the connection structures 104 and 106 of the bottom plate 10 will not produce obvious sound in principle, and the relative sliding, rotation and friction between the connection structure 126 of the multiple key key cap 12 will not produce obvious sound in principle. The key cap connection part 142e is formed by the part of the third reinforcement 1424 exposed from the second bracket body 1422 in the second middle connection section 142b, so although the material of the (connection structure 128 of the) multiple key key cap 12 is softer than that of the key cap connection part 142e, the relative sliding, rotation and friction between the two will not produce obvious sound in principle. This structural configuration can increase the structural strength of the key cap connection part 142e, which is beneficial to the stable connection between the key cap connection part 142e and the connection structure 128 of the multiple key key cap 12.
[0041] In the keycap support mechanism 14, the first reinforcement member 1444, the second reinforcement member 1446 and the third reinforcement member 1424 all have the effect of strengthening the first bracket body 1442 and the second bracket body 1422. Therefore, for other descriptions on the structural strengthening of the outer bracket 142, please refer to the previous descriptions on the first reinforcement member 1444, the second reinforcement member 1446 and their variations, which will not be repeated. In addition, in this embodiment, the outer bracket 142 is configured with a single reinforcement member 1424, but this is not limited to the actual operation. For example, if the structural size of the outer bracket 142 allows, the outer bracket 142 may also include another reinforcement member. In addition, if the structural size of the inner bracket 144 allows, the first reinforcement member 1444 and the second reinforcement member 1446 may also form a structure similar to the bending portion 1424a (of the third reinforcement member 1424) at their ends, which can further strengthen the corner structure of the inner bracket 144.
[0042] Also, see Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the multiple key key structure 1, the connection structure 126 of the multiple key keycap 12 for connecting to the outer bracket 142 is arranged on the key skirt of the multiple key keycap 12, and the connection structures 122, 124 of the multiple key keycap 12 for connecting to the inner bracket 144 and the connection structure 128 of the multiple key keycap 12 for connecting to the outer bracket 142 are arranged adjacent to the key skirt. Therefore, in the vertical direction D2, the profile of the keycap support mechanism 14 is only slightly smaller than the profile of the multiple key keycap 12, so that the keycap support mechanism 14 can support the multiple key keycap 12 more stably. This structural configuration is also beneficial for the keycap support mechanism 14 to transmit the movement of the multiple key keycap 12 in the long side direction D1, that is, to improve the horizontality of the multiple key keycap 12 when moving up and down. In addition, in this embodiment, the second reinforcement member 1446 and the third reinforcement member 1424 are both arranged adjacent to the multiplier key keycap 12 (wherein the third reinforcement member 1424 is directly connected to the connecting structure 128 of the multiplier key keycap 12), which helps to lift the keycap support mechanism 14 in the long side direction D1 to link the multiplier key keycap 12; further, the second reinforcement member 1446 and the third reinforcement member 1424 are located on both sides of the rotation axis 14a in the vertical direction D2, which helps the keycap support mechanism 14 to link the four corners of the multiplier key keycap 12, so that in principle, the pressing external force applied to various parts of the multiplier key keycap 12 can be effectively and synchronously transmitted to the four corners of the multiplier key keycap 12, which can eliminate or effectively suppress the degree of skewness of the multiplier key keycap 12 when moving up and down.
[0043] As mentioned above, the outer bracket 142 and the inner bracket 144 of the keycap support mechanism 14 of the multiple key key structure 1 improve the structural rigidity through the reinforcing members 1444, 1446, 1424, and the actuation stability of the multiple key key structure 1 can also be improved. The reinforcing members 1444, 1446, 1424 all extend parallel to the long side direction D1, and have a significant horizontal stable support effect for the narrow and long keycap (such as the multiple key keycap 12), so that when the corner of the multiple key keycap 12 is pressed, the keycap support mechanism 14 can actually transfer the pressing force in real time along the long side direction D1 to the other end of the long side of the multiple key keycap 12, and the mutually pivoted structure of the outer bracket 142 and the inner bracket 144 can also transfer the pressing force in real time along the short side direction D3 to the other end of the short side of the multiple key keycap 12; therefore, both ends of the long side and both ends of the short side of the multiple key keycap 12 can be kept at a state of nearly the same height and fall synchronously. Therefore, in actual operation, the key cap 12 of the multiple key can be smoothly moved up and down relative to the base plate 10 without the aid of a balance bar. Compared with the key structure design of the prior art in which a balance bar is added in addition to the lifting mechanism, the multiple key key structure 1 uses a smaller number of brackets, which can simplify the assembly process and increase the production speed of the product. In addition, in the multiple key key structure 1, the structurally reinforced outer bracket 142 and inner bracket 144 do not need to increase the thickness to improve the structural rigidity, so the multiple key key structure 1 can also be suitable for a thin design.
[0044] Of course, the present invention may have many other embodiments. Without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, technicians familiar with the field may make various corresponding changes and deformations based on the present invention, but these corresponding changes and deformations should all fall within the scope of protection of the claims attached to the present invention.
Claims
1. A keycap support mechanism, used for supporting a multiple key keycap on a bottom plate in a vertical direction, wherein the multiple keycap extends longitudinally in a long side direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, and the keycap support mechanism as a whole extends longitudinally in the long side direction, characterized in that: The keycap supporting mechanism comprises: External support; and The inner bracket is pivotally connected to the outer bracket and the inner bracket around a rotation axis, the rotation axis is parallel to the long side direction, the outer bracket is arranged around the inner bracket, the inner bracket includes a first bracket body and a first reinforcement, the first reinforcement is embedded in the first bracket body, the first reinforcement runs through the first bracket body in the long side direction, the inner bracket defines a first side connection section on both sides in the long side direction, each first side connection section includes at least one bottom plate connection portion and at least one key cap connection portion, and the first reinforcement extends into the two first side connection sections.
2. The keycap supporting mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: In one of the first side connection sections, the sum of the number of the at least one base plate connection portion and the at least one key cap connection portion is greater than or equal to 3.
3. The keycap supporting mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: The inner bracket further includes a second reinforcement member, which is embedded in the first bracket body and extends into the two first side connection sections.
4. The keycap supporting mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first reinforcement component and the second reinforcement component are located on two sides of the rotation axis.
5. The keycap supporting mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first reinforcement member and the second reinforcement member are structurally symmetrical with respect to the rotation axis.
6. The keycap supporting mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first reinforcement piece is exposed from the first bracket body to connect the first bracket body and the multiple key cap.
7. The keycap supporting mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that: The first reinforcement has at least one bending portion, and the at least one bending portion is located in one of the first side connecting sections.
8. The keycap supporting mechanism according to claim 1, wherein: The inner bracket defines a first middle connecting section in the long side direction. The first middle connecting section is located between the two first side connecting sections in the long side direction. The first middle connecting section includes a bottom plate connecting portion or a key cap connecting portion.
9. The keycap supporting mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer bracket includes a second bracket body and a third reinforcement, the third reinforcement is embedded in the second bracket body, the elastic modulus of the third reinforcement is greater than the elastic modulus of the second bracket body, and a second side connection section is defined on each side in the long side direction, each second side connection section includes at least one base plate connection portion and at least one key cap connection portion, and the third reinforcement extends into the two second side connection sections.
10. The keycap supporting mechanism according to claim 9, characterized in that: The outer bracket defines a second middle connecting section in the long side direction, and the second middle connecting section is located between the two second side connecting sections in the long side direction. The second middle connecting section includes a keycap connecting portion, and the third reinforcement exposes a portion of the second bracket body in the second middle connecting section as the keycap connecting portion.
11. A multiple key structure, characterized in that: The multiple key structure includes: Base plate; A multiple key keycap, the multiple key keycap extending longitudinally in the long side direction; and The keycap supporting mechanism as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, the keycap supporting mechanism supports the multiple key keycap on the base plate in a vertical direction, the vertical direction is perpendicular to the long side direction, the outer bracket and the inner bracket are both connected between the base plate and the multiple key keycap, wherein in each first side connecting section, the at least one base plate connecting portion is connected to the base plate, and the at least one keycap connecting portion is connected to the multiple key keycap.