A novel keyboard module on-off light guide structure

Abstract

The utility model discloses a novel keyboard module conduction light guide structure relates to input equipment technical field, and it is including: support plate, membrane switch subassembly, backlight assembly and FPC, the membrane switch subassembly sets up below the support plate, the backlight assembly includes a light guide plate, and this light guide plate sets up below the membrane switch subassembly, the light guide plate is attached with the membrane switch subassembly, is used for realizing the keyboard and light guide function of conduction, the upper layer of membrane switch subassembly is provided with shading layer and reflection layer on the side of back to the backlight assembly. The utility model provides technical scheme, and the original structure is simplified to four layers integral moulding composite module, effectively reduces the keyboard thickness, simplifies the assembly procedure, reduces the cost to improve the reliability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of input device technology, and in particular to a novel keyboard module light-conducting structure. Background Technology

[0002] Keyboards are indispensable input devices for modern computers and smart devices. However, there has long been a technological bias in this field, namely that the keyboard's trigger circuit and backlight module, due to their drastically different material, manufacturing process, and performance requirements, must be designed and manufactured as two separate physical components before assembly. This "conductive-light-guided separation" design paradigm severely restricts the development of thinner and lighter keyboard modules. The purpose of this invention is to overcome this technological bias.

[0003] Furthermore, membrane switches and backlight modules require independent production, assembly, and testing, resulting in a lengthy process that increases labor and time costs. Both modules require independent printing of light-shielding ink, leading to low material utilization. Moreover, the stacking of multiple independent modules demands extremely high assembly precision, making misalignment prone to occur, affecting the feel and uniformity of light output, and reducing product yield. Utility Model Content

[0004] To overcome the shortcomings of existing technologies, this utility model provides a novel keyboard module light guiding structure, which solves the problems of large thickness, multiple processes, and high cost caused by the separation of the light guiding and backlighting structures in traditional keyboard modules.

[0005] A novel keyboard module light-conducting structure includes: a support plate, a membrane switch assembly, a backlight assembly, and an FPC;

[0006] The membrane switch assembly is disposed below the support plate;

[0007] The backlight assembly includes a light guide plate disposed below the membrane switch assembly. The light guide plate is attached to the membrane switch assembly to realize the functions of keyboard conduction and light guiding.

[0008] A light-shielding layer and a reflective layer are provided on the upper side of the membrane switch assembly facing away from the backlight assembly.

[0009] Furthermore, it also includes keycaps, scissor switches, and rubber springs. The module is stacked in the following order from top to bottom: keycaps, scissor switches, support plate, rubber springs, upper membrane switch layer, middle membrane switch layer, light guide plate, lower backlight layer, and FPC.

[0010] Furthermore, the reflective layer on the upper layer of the membrane switch assembly is a white ink layer, and the light-shielding layer is a black ink layer.

[0011] Furthermore, the white ink layer is directly printed on the upper surface of the membrane switch, and the black ink layer is printed over the white ink layer.

[0012] Furthermore, conductive lines are provided on the side of the light guide plate facing the thin-film switch assembly, and the conductive lines are formed on the surface of the light guide plate by a printing process.

[0013] Furthermore, the conductive lines on the light guide plate are silver paste lines.

[0014] Furthermore, the conductive circuit achieves electrical connection through contact with the contacts on the lower surface of the middle layer of the membrane switch.

[0015] Furthermore, the rubber spring, the upper layer of the membrane switch, the middle layer of the membrane switch, the light guide plate, the lower layer of the backlight, and the FPC are fixed into an integrated structure through a pressing process.

[0016] Furthermore, the upper layer of the membrane switch, the middle layer of the membrane switch, the light guide plate integrating conductive circuits, and the lower layer of the backlight together constitute a four-layer integrated composite module.

[0017] Furthermore, the lower backlight layer is a reflective film used to reflect light back to the light guide plate.

[0018] This invention provides a novel conductive and light-guiding structure for a keyboard module. The advantages of this invention are as follows: by placing both the membrane switch and backlight assembly below the support plate, and integrating the conductive circuitry into the light guide plate of the backlight assembly to replace the traditional lower layer of the membrane switch, while integrating the light-shielding and reflection functions required for backlighting into the upper layer of the membrane switch, a high degree of integration of the conductive and light-guiding structures is achieved. This is not merely a simple reduction in the number of layers, but more importantly, it eliminates the necessary assembly interface between the lower layer of the membrane circuitry and the light guide plate in traditional designs. This change fundamentally avoids problems such as optical unevenness, poor tactile feedback, and conductive failure caused by interface misalignment. Simultaneously, it reduces the overall thickness and number of layers of the keyboard module, simplifies the production and assembly process, lowers material costs, and significantly simplifies the supply chain and assembly process, thereby improving the stability and reliability of the product structure. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is an exploded view of the backlight keyboard module in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the backlit keyboard module in this embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the integrated molding structure of the backlight keyboard module in this embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Reference numerals: 1. Keycap; 2. Scissor-switch pin; 3. Support plate; 4. Rubber spring; 5. Membrane switch assembly; 51. Upper layer of membrane switch; 52. Middle layer of membrane switch; 6. Backlight assembly; 61. Light guide plate; 62. Lower layer of backlight; 7. FPC. Detailed Implementation

[0023] To make the technical problems, technical solutions, and beneficial effects of this utility model clearer, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present utility model and are not intended to limit the present utility model.

[0024] like Figure 1-2 As shown, a novel keyboard module light-conducting structure includes keycaps 1, scissor-switch pins 2, a support plate 3, rubber springs 4, a membrane switch assembly 5, a backlight assembly 6, and an FPC 7.

[0025] Specifically, the overall stacked structure of the module, from top to bottom, consists of: keycap 1, scissor switches 2, support plate 3, rubber spring 4, upper membrane switch layer 51, middle membrane switch layer 52, light guide plate 61, lower backlight layer 62, and FPC 7. Preferably, the support plate 3 can be a metal plate, used to provide structural support for the entire module.

[0026] In one specific embodiment, the backlight assembly 6 includes a light guide plate 61. The light guide plate 61 is made of a transparent optical material, such as polymethyl methacrylate or polycarbonate. At least one LED is disposed on the side of the light guide plate 61 as a light source. The lower backlight layer 62 is a reflective film used to reflect light back to the light guide plate 61. During operation, the light emitted by the LEDs disposed on the side of the light guide plate 61 enters the interior of the light guide plate 61. The light is conducted within the light guide plate 61 through total internal reflection, and the total internal reflection condition is broken by the scattering dots inside or on the lower surface of the light guide plate 61, thereby uniformly emitting light from the upper surface of the light guide plate 61 to form a surface light source to illuminate the keycaps 1. At the same time, some of the downwardly scattered light is reflected back into the light guide plate 61 by the lower backlight layer 62, improving the utilization rate of the light source and ensuring the uniformity of the backlight in the keyboard area.

[0027] like Figure 1As shown, in this embodiment, the light guide plate 61 has conductive lines on the side facing the membrane switch assembly 5. These conductive lines are electrically connected to the membrane switch assembly 5, together forming the keyboard's trigger circuit. The conductive lines can be formed using a printing process. Specifically, the printing process can be screen printing, using silver paste to print the required silver paste lines on the surface of the light guide plate 61. The silver paste lines are aligned and adhered to the lower surface of the membrane switch's middle layer 52. Alternatively, the printing process can also be inkjet printing. Those skilled in the art can choose according to actual needs. When the user presses the keycap 1, the pressure is transmitted through the scissor feet 2 and the support plate 3, causing the rubber spring 4 to deform and press downwards against the upper membrane switch 51, making the upper membrane switch 51 contact the middle membrane switch 52 at its corresponding key position. At this time, current flows from the circuit of the upper membrane switch 51 through the contacts of the middle membrane switch 52 to the silver paste lines on the light guide plate 61, forming a complete loop, thereby realizing the conduction of the key signal.

[0028] like Figure 3 As shown, in another embodiment, the side of the upper layer 51 of the membrane switch facing away from the rubber spring 4 integrates a light-shielding and reflective structure required for backlighting. Specifically, a reflective layer (not shown in the figure) and a light-shielding layer (not shown in the figure) are sequentially disposed on this surface. Preferably, the reflective layer (not shown in the figure) is a white ink layer directly printed on the upper surface of the upper layer 51 of the membrane switch, and the light-shielding layer (not shown in the figure) is a black ink layer covering the white ink layer. The black ink layer is formed by printing on the white ink layer after the white ink layer has cured, and the printing process includes, but is not limited to, screen printing, inkjet printing, or pad printing.

[0029] In detail, when light from the light guide plate 61 is emitted from its surface, it directly illuminates the light-shielding layer (not shown in the figure). Except for the cutout area corresponding to the keycap 1 character, the light is effectively blocked by the black ink layer, preventing light leakage. At the same time, the reflective layer below (not shown in the figure) can efficiently reflect the transmitted light back into the light guide plate 61, increasing the light utilization rate and making the light transmitted from the keycap 1 character hole brighter and more uniform.

[0030] In a specific embodiment, the rubber spring 4, the upper membrane switch layer 51, the middle membrane switch layer 52, the light guide plate 61 with integrated silver paste circuitry, the lower backlight layer 62, and the FPC 7 are fixed into an integrated structure by a pressing process. Specifically, the pressing process can be a hot pressing process, in which the hot melt adhesive film placed between the layers is melted and solidified by heating and pressurizing to achieve adhesion; or it can be a cold pressing process that uses adhesives and is fixed by pressure. This embodiment does not limit the specific method of the pressing process, and those skilled in the art can select appropriate pressing parameters according to the actual adhesive materials used.

[0031] like Figure 1 As shown, the upper membrane switch layer 51, the middle membrane switch layer 52, the light guide plate 61, and the lower backlight layer 62 together constitute a four-layer integrated composite module. This reduces assembly steps, avoids interlayer alignment errors, and thus improves the stability and reliability of the product structure.

[0032] The above is a description of the novel keyboard module light-guiding structure of this utility model, which is used to help understand this utility model; however, the implementation of this utility model is not limited to the above embodiments. Any changes, modifications, substitutions, combinations, or simplifications made without departing from the principle of this utility model shall be considered as equivalent substitutions and shall be included within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A novel light-conducting structure for a keyboard module, characterized in that, include: Support plate, membrane switch assembly, backlight assembly, and FPC; The membrane switch assembly is disposed below the support plate; The backlight assembly includes a light guide plate disposed below the membrane switch assembly. The light guide plate is attached to the membrane switch assembly to realize the functions of keyboard conduction and light guiding. A light-shielding layer and a reflective layer are provided on the upper side of the membrane switch assembly facing away from the backlight assembly.

2. The novel keyboard module light-conducting structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes keycaps, scissor switches, and rubber springs. The module is stacked in the following order from top to bottom: keycaps, scissor switches, support plate, rubber springs, upper membrane switch layer, middle membrane switch layer, light guide plate, lower backlight layer, and FPC.

3. The novel keyboard module light-conducting structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, The reflective layer on the upper layer of the membrane switch assembly is a white ink layer, and the light-shielding layer is a black ink layer.

4. The novel keyboard module light-conducting structure according to claim 3, characterized in that, The white ink layer is printed directly on the upper surface of the membrane switch, and the black ink layer is printed on top of the white ink layer.

5. A novel keyboard module light-conducting structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, The light guide plate has conductive lines on the side facing the membrane switch assembly, and the conductive lines are formed on the surface of the light guide plate by a printing process.

6. A novel keyboard module light-conducting structure according to claim 5, characterized in that, The conductive circuit is a silver paste circuit.

7. A novel keyboard module light-conducting structure according to claim 6, characterized in that, The conductive circuit achieves electrical connection through contact with the contacts on the lower surface of the middle layer of the membrane switch.

8. A novel keyboard module light-conducting structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, The rubber spring, upper membrane switch layer, middle membrane switch layer, light guide plate, lower backlight layer, and FPC are fixed into an integrated structure through a pressing process.

9. A novel keyboard module light-conducting structure according to claim 2 or 8, characterized in that, The upper membrane switch layer, the middle membrane switch layer, the light guide plate integrating conductive circuits, and the lower backlight layer together form a four-layer integrated composite module.

10. A novel keyboard module light-conducting structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower backlight layer is a reflective film used to reflect light back to the light guide plate.

Images