Inductive button with integrated base

Abstract

This application relates to the field of mechanical buttons, particularly inductive buttons with an integrated base. The inductive button includes a printed circuit board with a spiral induction coil, a one-piece injection-molded base, and an axially actuated motion component. A reset spring is installed between the base and the motion component for resetting. The printed circuit board has a central positioning hole at the center of the spiral induction coil. An axially penetrating cavity is formed inside the base, with an assembly opening at the top and a working through-hole with a diameter smaller than the opening at the bottom. Several mechanical pins are provided at the bottom of the base, and the printed circuit board is configured with corresponding socket structures. The base achieves connection and engagement through interference or snap-fit ​​between the pins and sockets. This inductive button eliminates component redundancy and assembly gaps from separate assembly through its one-piece base structure, and simultaneously achieves travel limit and acoustic feedback functions through the impact mechanism between the supporting boss inside the base and the motion component.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of mechanical buttons, particularly inductive buttons with an integrated base. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of human-computer interaction devices such as mechanical keyboards, inductive key sensing technology is becoming a powerful alternative to traditional mechanical switches due to its advantages such as contactless wear, long service life, and good environmental resistance. This technology mainly relies on the change in inductance caused by the change in the relative position between the sensing element and the sensing coil when pressed, which is then converted into a key travel signal by an external circuit.

[0003] To ensure stable movement of the sensing element and protect internal components, current inductive buttons generally employ a multi-part housing structure. This structure typically consists of independent housing components such as a top cover, base, and guide bracket, used to precisely constrain the movement path of the movable button holding the sensing element.

[0004] However, while this modular housing structure achieves functionality, it also introduces significant complexity and potential problems: The increased number of parts leads to higher costs: independent housing components (such as separate top covers, bases, and brackets) directly increase the total number of parts for the buttons, driving up material costs. More importantly, each component typically requires a dedicated precision injection mold, significantly increasing upfront mold investment costs, which is particularly detrimental to product development, especially for small-batch or diversified applications. Assembly complexity affects performance consistency: the assembly process for multiple components is cumbersome and time-consuming, requiring precise positioning and alignment. The unavoidable manufacturing tolerances and assembly errors in this process accumulate, leading to deviations in the final assembled structure. These deviations directly affect the uniformity of the critical gap distance maintained between the active button (along with the sensing element) and the sensing coil, ultimately manifesting as fluctuations and inconsistencies in key performance parameters such as trigger force, key travel, and sensitivity between different buttons, damaging the overall product quality and user experience.

[0005] Therefore, in response to the problems of the number of parts, mold costs, and performance consistency caused by the complexity of assembly in the existing split shell structure, there is an urgent need for a new shell design with a simpler structure and higher integration to optimize costs and ensure reliable button performance. Utility Model Content

[0006] The purpose of this application is to overcome at least one deficiency of the prior art and provide an inductive button with an integrated base. The inductive button eliminates the redundancy of parts and assembly gaps in the separate assembly through the integrated base structure, and realizes the stroke limit and acoustic feedback functions simultaneously by utilizing the impact mechanism between the support boss in the base and the moving component.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, this application discloses an inductive button with an integrated base. The inductive button includes a printed circuit board with a spiral induction coil, an integrally injection-molded base, and an axially actuating motion component. A reset spring for resetting is installed between the base and the motion component. The printed circuit board has a central positioning hole at the center of the spiral induction coil. An axially penetrating cavity is formed inside the base, with an assembly opening at the top and a working through hole with a diameter smaller than the opening at the bottom. Several mechanical pins are provided at the bottom of the base, and the printed circuit board is correspondingly configured with socket structures. The base achieves connection and engagement through interference or snap-fit ​​between the pins and the sockets.

[0008] The motion assembly includes an actuator, a shaft, and an annular wall. The actuator is used to connect a keycap, and the shaft extends axially to below the actuator. A tapered metal component is installed at the bottom end of the shaft, with the tip of the tapered metal component facing the working through hole.

[0009] The annular wall coaxially covers the outer side of the shaft, and its outer wall forms a guide gap with the inner wall of the cavity of the base.

[0010] Furthermore, the two outer sides of the annular enclosure are symmetrically provided with concave structures having lower limiting end faces; the inner wall of the base cavity is provided with multiple sets of protruding locking guide blocks corresponding to the linear guide groove at the opening; the top of the locking guide block is machined with a wedge-shaped inclined surface inclined towards the cavity axis. During assembly, the wedge-shaped inclined surface forces the annular enclosure to undergo elastic deformation, completing the axial insertion assembly of the base assembly and the motion assembly, and causing the concave structure to contact the locking guide block to form the upper limit stop point of the motion assembly, forming an anti-disengagement snap-fit ​​engagement.

[0011] Furthermore, the annular wall is provided with an elastic fastening part at the concave structure that aligns with the locking guide block, and the free end of the elastic fastening part extends outward to form a protruding locking structure that aligns with the locking guide block.

[0012] Furthermore, the inner bottom surface of the base is provided with multiple upward-protruding support bosses, which are aligned and cooperate with the bottom end of the annular wall to serve as the lower stop limit of the moving component and the impact sound emission position.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, this application has at least one of the following beneficial technical effects:

[0014] 1. Significantly simplifies the structure and reduces manufacturing costs: The traditional split shell structure is replaced by an integrated base assembly, which completely eliminates the separate top cover, base and guide bracket components, directly reducing the number of basic parts and the need for precision molds.

[0015] 2. Integrated mechanical feedback and acoustic characteristics: The hard contact structure formed by the support boss and the bottom of the annular wall generates a crisp tapping sound feedback while achieving precise bottoming limit. It can simultaneously meet the needs of mechanical stroke control and user tactile experience without the need for additional sound-generating components.

[0016] The beneficial effects listed above are not exhaustive of all advantages. Other potential beneficial effects and detailed technical implementation methods will be further disclosed in the embodiments or other descriptive sections of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0017] A better understanding of various aspects of this disclosure will be achieved by reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The positions, dimensions, and extents of the structures shown in the drawings, etc., do not always represent actual positions, dimensions, and extents. In the drawings:

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of one embodiment disclosed in this application.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a structural schematic diagram of one embodiment disclosed in this application from another perspective.

[0020] Figure 3 This is an exploded view of one embodiment disclosed in this application.

[0021] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of one embodiment disclosed in this application.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the base in one embodiment of the present application. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate several embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be presented in many different ways and is not limited to the embodiments described below; in fact, the embodiments described below are intended to make the disclosure more complete and to fully illustrate the scope of protection of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. It should also be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein can be combined in various ways to provide further additional embodiments.

[0024] It should be understood that the same reference numerals denote the same elements in all the accompanying drawings. For clarity, the dimensions of certain features may be modified in the drawings.

[0025] It should be understood that the terminology used in this specification is for describing specific embodiments only and is not intended to limit this disclosure. All terms used in this specification (including technical and scientific terms) have the meanings commonly understood by those skilled in the art, unless otherwise defined. For the sake of brevity and / or clarity, techniques, methods, and apparatus known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail; however, where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and apparatus should be considered part of this specification.

[0026] Unless otherwise specified, the singular forms “a,” “the,” and “the” used in this specification include the plural forms. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “containing” used in this specification indicate the presence of the claimed feature but do not exclude the presence of one or more other features. The term “and / or” used in this specification includes any and all combinations of one or more of the relevant listed items.

[0027] This embodiment provides an exemplary structure for an inductive button with an integrated base. The inductive button has a compact overall structure and a high degree of modularity, making it suitable for various input devices, such as keyboards.

[0028] See attached document Figures 1 to 5 The overall structure of the inductive button includes a printed circuit board 1, a base 2, and a motion component 3 disposed in the cavity of the base 1. The three components work together to form a highly reliable button structure based on non-contact inductive detection.

[0029] Specifically, the printed circuit board 1 is made of multilayer copper-clad laminate, and a set of spiral induction coils 101 are integrated on its surface. The spiral induction coils 101 are used to sense the movement of metal foreign objects in the axial direction to generate changes in inductance value, thereby realizing a press recognition function without mechanical contact. To ensure that part of the moving component 3 can pass through the spiral induction coils 101 to achieve induction triggering, the printed circuit board 1 has a positioning hole 102 at the center of the spiral induction coils 101. The positioning hole 102 is aligned and engaged with the working through hole 201 at the bottom of the base 1.

[0030] In addition, in this embodiment, multiple mechanical sockets are provided on the bottom of the printed circuit board 1, which correspond one-to-one with the pins provided on the bottom of the base 2. During the assembly process, the base 2 is firmly installed on the printed circuit board 1 through interference fit or snap fit, forming a stable structural connection relationship.

[0031] In this embodiment, the base 2 is an integral injection-molded structure with high structural strength and heat resistance, and its internal structure is an axially penetrating hollow cavity. The top of the cavity is provided with an assembly opening 202 to facilitate the insertion and assembly of the moving component 3 through the device opening 202, and the bottom is provided with a working through hole 201 coaxially arranged, the diameter of which is smaller than the size of the top opening.

[0032] The motion component 3, assembled within the base 1, can move axially in the vertical direction and cooperates with the return spring 4 located within the base 1 to achieve the return of the motion component 3 after movement. Structurally, the motion component 3 includes an upper actuating part 301, a central shaft 302, and a coaxially arranged annular wall 303 on the outer side. The actuating part 301 serves as a connection structure for the keycap; its shape can be configured as a dome, planar, or irregular structure according to actual application requirements, and is used to connect external keycaps. The shaft 302 extends downward from the actuating part 301, forming a mounting position 303 at its bottom end, where a conical metal component 304 is fixedly mounted. This conical metal component 304 is machined from metal, such as a conical aluminum piece, with the cone tip pointing downwards towards the working through hole 201 at the bottom of the base 1. Its vertical displacement during movement will cause a change in the inductance of the induction coil, thereby realizing the key detection response. To ensure the stability of the cone's movement and suppress swaying, the shaft 302 is coaxially covered by an annular wall 303. The outer wall of the annular wall 303 and the inner wall of the cavity of the base 1 form a guide gap, so that the moving component 3 can only slide along the axial direction.

[0033] The outer wall of the annular enclosure 303 is symmetrically provided with two concave structures 305, the lower edge of which forms an upper limit stop point that cooperates with the base 1 for positioning.

[0034] Furthermore, in the specific structure, the assembly opening 202 of the inner cavity of the base 2 is provided with multiple sets of inwardly protruding locking guide blocks 203. Each locking guide block 203 has a wedge-shaped inclined surface that slopes downwards and inwards. During assembly, when the moving component 2 is inserted through the assembly opening 202, the wedge-shaped inclined surface of the locking guide block 203 forces the annular wall 303 to undergo inward elastic deformation, thereby achieving interference guidance during insertion. This interference guidance facilitates the assembly transition. After assembly, the locking guide block 203 is located within the concave structure 305 and engages with it. When the lower end face of the concave structure 305 contacts the locking guide block 203, the moving component 2 reaches its upper limit stop, forming an anti-detachment structure. This provides both limiting and anti-detachment protection, preventing the structure from loosening or detaching under external force.

[0035] Based on the above structure, the annular wall 303 is further provided with an elastic fastening part 306 near the concave structure 305. This elastic fastening part 306 can be integrally formed by the entire annular wall 303 during injection molding or formed by a partially thin-walled structure. Its free end extends outward and is provided with a protruding locking structure that cooperates with the locking guide block 203. This structure not only further improves the locking capability of the limiting stop point, but also enhances the reliability of anti-detachment.

[0036] To achieve the bottom stop function of the moving component, the inner bottom surface of the base 2 is provided with multiple upwardly protruding support bosses 204. These support bosses 204 are distributed at the bottom edge and precisely aligned with the bottom end of the annular wall 303. When the button is fully pressed, the bottom of the annular wall 303 contacts the support bosses 204, forming an axial limit and generating a rebound sound feedback. By appropriately selecting the contact structure and material matching between the bottom of the annular wall 303 and the support bosses 204, the button's feel, feedback volume, and trigger sensitivity can be adjusted.

[0037] The processing technology and structural parameters of some components used in the above structure, such as the number of winding layers of the spiral induction coil 101, the specific material of the metal cone component 304, and the thickness ratio and opening angle of the elastic fastening part 306, can be adjusted and optimized by those skilled in the art according to the actual product performance requirements. These technical details are well known in the art and will not be elaborated further.

[0038] In summary, this inductive button structure, through the combination of inductive detection principle, elastic structural limiting, and modular assembly, achieves non-contact inductive triggering while ensuring high structural stability, durability, and assembly efficiency.

[0039] While exemplary embodiments of this disclosure have been described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes and modifications can be made to the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Therefore, all changes and modifications are included within the scope of protection of this disclosure as defined by the claims. This disclosure is defined by the appended claims, and equivalents of those claims are also included.

Claims

1. An inductive button with an integrated base, characterized in that, The inductive button includes a printed circuit board with a spiral induction coil, an integrally injection-molded base, and an axially actuating motion component. A reset spring for resetting is installed between the base and the motion component. The printed circuit board has a center positioning hole at the center of the spiral induction coil. An axially through cavity is formed inside the base, with an assembly opening at the top and a working through hole with a diameter smaller than the opening at the bottom. Several mechanical pins are provided at the bottom of the base, and the printed circuit board is configured with corresponding socket structures. The base achieves connection and engagement through interference or snap-fit ​​between the pins and the sockets. The motion assembly includes an actuator, a shaft, and an annular wall. The actuator is used to connect a keycap, and the shaft extends axially to below the actuator. A tapered metal component is installed at the bottom end of the shaft, with the tip of the tapered metal component facing the working through hole. The annular wall coaxially covers the outer side of the shaft, and its outer wall forms a guide gap with the inner wall of the cavity of the base.

2. The inductive button of the integrated base as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The annular wall is symmetrically provided with concave structures with lower limit end faces on both outer sides; the inner wall of the base cavity is provided with multiple sets of protruding positioning guide blocks at the opening corresponding to the linear guide groove; the top of the positioning guide block is machined with a wedge-shaped inclined surface that is inclined towards the cavity axis.

3. The inductive button of the integrated base as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The annular wall has an elastic fastening part at the concave structure that aligns with the locking guide block. The free end of the elastic fastening part extends outward to form a protruding locking structure that aligns with the locking guide block.

4. The inductive button of the integrated base as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The inner bottom surface of the base is provided with multiple upward-protruding support bosses, which are aligned and cooperate with the bottom end of the annular wall to serve as the lower stop limit of the moving component and the impact sound generation position.

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