Conduction member of pluggable ultrathin mechanical keyboard switch

Through the designed ultra -thin mechanical keyboard switching channel, the conductive elastic structure is used to solve the problem of the existing mechanical keyboard in terms of waterproof, dustproof and replacement difficulty, and achieve efficient and easy installation and use, satisfy and satisfy it, satisfy and use User custom needs.

WO2025020973A1PCT designated stage expired Publication Date: 2025-01-30DONGGUAN CITY KAIHUA ELECTRONICS
View PDF 6 Cites 0 Cited by

Patent Information

Application Number
PCT/CN2024/105685
Authority / Receiving Office
WO · WO
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2023-07-24
Filing Date
2024-07-16
Publication Date
2025-01-30

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

The mechanical switches of existing mechanical keyboards have poor performance in waterproof and dustproof, difficult to replace, high maintenance costs, and cannot meet the needs of rapid production and user customization.

Method used

Design a diverter of an ultra -thin mechanical keyboard switch, which uses conductive elastic body structure, including fixing seats, conductivity, and twist springs. Process, reduce technical difficulty.

Benefits of technology

The cost of stable contact, simple installation, and low maintenance costs of the pitch meets the custom needs of different users, and improves the accuracy and installation efficiency of the mechanical keyboard switch.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

Smart Images

  • Figure CN2024105685_30012025_PF_FP_ABST
    Figure CN2024105685_30012025_PF_FP_ABST
Patent Text Reader

Abstract

A conduction member of a pluggable ultrathin mechanical keyboard switch, comprising a fixing seat, a balance frame assembly, and a conduction member, wherein the conduction member is a conductive elastomer, and a fixing part is provided in the middle of the metal elastomer; a first elastic arm and a second elastic arm extend from the fixing part to two sides, respectively; a conduction driving part is provided at an end portion of the first elastic arm; the second elastic arm is provided with a conduction fixing part. The present invention achieves good contact stability, convenient and rapid internal structure installation, easy replacement, accurate conduction and disconnection actions, good elastic recovery, a low overall height, good balance, a light weight, and a small thickness, and can satisfy use requirements of different people.
Need to check novelty before this filing date? Find Prior Art

Description

A pluggable conductive part for ultra-thin mechanical keyboard switch Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of key switches, and in particular to a conductive component of a pluggable ultra-thin mechanical keyboard switch. Background Art

[0002] A mechanical keyboard is a more complex keyboard than a membrane keyboard. Mechanical switches are used under the keycaps. Mechanical keyboards are more expensive than membrane keyboards and have the characteristics of better feel, crisp sound, and long mechanical life. However, mechanical switches have poor performance in terms of water and dust resistance, so failures are inevitable.

[0003] The mechanical switches of existing mechanical keyboards are directly soldered to the PCB board, which has obvious drawbacks: once the mechanical switch becomes defective or damaged, it is difficult and costly to replace. End users generally cannot replace it themselves. Even if they can replace it, it is time-consuming and there are soldering hazards. In addition, this existing technology also prevents end users from choosing different types of mechanical switches for different keys on the keyboard according to their own preferences.

[0004] In addition, the conduction structure of the existing mechanical switch needs to be fixed on a structure such as a housing or a conductor core. Its structure is relatively delicate and requires high precision for fixation. It is technically difficult and consumes a lot of manpower and material resources, making it unsuitable for current rapid production needs.

[0005] As electronic products tend to become thinner and thinner, existing pluggable and replaceable keyboard switches are increasingly unable to meet the trend of thinning.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] In response to the above-mentioned shortcomings, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a pluggable ultra-thin mechanical keyboard switch conductive component, which has good contact stability, convenient and quick internal structure installation, easy replacement, accurate conduction and disconnection actions, good elastic recovery force, and a low overall height, good balance, and is lighter and thinner to meet the usage needs of different people.

[0008] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to achieve the above-mentioned object is:

[0009] A conductive component for a pluggable ultra-thin mechanical keyboard switch includes a fixing seat and a conductive component. The conductive component is a conductive elastomer with a fixing portion provided in the middle of the conductive elastomer; a first elastic arm and a second elastic arm extend to both sides of the fixing portion respectively, the end of the first elastic arm is provided with a conductive driving portion, and the second elastic arm is provided with a conductive fixing portion.

[0010] As a further improvement of the present invention, the conductive elastomer is a torsion spring, which includes a fixed portion mounted on the fixed seat, a first elastic arm extending outward from the fixed portion, a conductive driving portion integrally formed at the outermost end of the first elastic arm and bent to extend outward, a second elastic arm extending outward from the fixed portion toward the other end, and a conductive fixed portion integrally formed at the outermost end of the second elastic arm and bent inward to extend.

[0011] As a further improvement of the present invention, a conductive contact portion bent downward is formed on the first elastic arm.

[0012] As a further improvement of the present invention, the fixing seat is provided with a mounting portion for installing the conductive part, and the mounting portion includes a first horizontal mounting groove for the conductive driving part to be placed, a first longitudinal mounting groove connected to one side of the first horizontal mounting groove and for the first elastic arm to be placed in and movable, a fixing portion mounting groove connected to the tail end of the first longitudinal mounting groove and for the fixing portion to be placed in, a second longitudinal mounting groove connected to the other end of the fixing portion mounting groove and for the second elastic arm to be placed in and movable, and a second horizontal mounting groove connected to the tail end of the second longitudinal mounting groove and for the conductive fixing portion to be placed in.

[0013] As a further improvement of the present invention, the PCB board is provided with an electrical connection static contact facing the conductive fixing part, and an electrical connection moving contact facing the conductive contact part, and the conductive fixing part is fixedly pressed against the electrical connection static contact.

[0014] The beneficial effects of the present invention are: by setting the conductive part as a conductive elastomer and the conductive part being hooked on the conductive hook, the installation of the conductive part is made easier. It is only necessary to place the torsion spring on the driving rod and the fixing seat to realize the conduction and disconnection of the mechanical key, without the need for welding and fixing, etc. The installation technical requirements are low, the installation is convenient and quick, and manpower and material resources are saved. In addition, the conduction and disconnection actions are accurate, the elastic recovery force is good, and the practicality of the mechanical keyboard switch is improved.

[0015] The above is an overview of the technical solution of the invention. The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods.

[0016] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] FIG1 is an overall schematic diagram of the present invention;

[0018] FIG2 is an exploded view of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a driving rod;

[0020] Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a fixing base;

[0021] FIG5 is a cross-sectional view of the present invention after removing the fixing seat;

[0022] In the figure: 1. fixing seat; 11. mounting portion; 111. first transverse mounting slot; 112. first longitudinal mounting slot; 113. fixing portion mounting slot; 114. second longitudinal mounting slot; 115. second transverse mounting slot; 2. balancing frame assembly; 21. balancing frame A; 22. balancing frame B; 221. pressing protrusion; 23. tension spring; 3. conducting member; 31. fixing portion; 32. first elastic arm; 33. conducting drive portion; 34. second elastic arm; 35. conducting fixing portion; 36. conducting contact portion; 4. driving rod; 41. lower pressing linkage block; 42. conducting hook; 43. embedding slot; 5. dust cover; 6. PCB board; 61. electrical connection static contact; 62. electrical connection moving contact.

[0023] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] In order to further illustrate the technical means and effects adopted by the present invention to achieve the predetermined purpose, the specific implementation methods of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments.

[0025] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship, are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0026] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of the technical features being referred to. Thus, a feature identified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present invention, "plurality" means two or more, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0027] In the present invention, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," "connect," "fixed," etc. should be understood broadly. For example, they may refer to fixed connection, detachable connection, or integration; mechanical connection or electrical connection; direct connection or indirect connection through an intermediate medium; internal communication between two components or interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on specific circumstances.

[0028] Referring to Figures 1 to 5, an embodiment of the present invention provides a conductive member 3 for a pluggable ultra-thin mechanical keyboard switch, comprising a fixing base 1 and a conductive member 3. The conductive member 3 is a conductive elastomer having a fixing portion 31 disposed in the middle thereof. A first elastic arm 32 and a second elastic arm 34 extend from the fixing portion 31 to either side thereof. The first elastic arm 32 has a conductive drive portion 33 disposed at its end, and the second elastic arm 34 has a conductive fixing portion 35 disposed thereon. By configuring the conductive member 3 as a conductive elastomer, the conductive fixing portion 35 of the conductive member 3 is stably electrically connected to the PCB 6. When a user presses the pluggable ultra-thin mechanical keyboard switch, the driving rod 4 in the pluggable ultra-thin mechanical keyboard switch moves downward. Under the action of its own elastic restoring force, the conductive drive portion 33 rotates downward about the fixing portion 31 to the middle of the first elastic arm 32, where it electrically connects to the PCB 6, completing a signal input. When the user releases the pluggable ultra-thin mechanical keyboard switch, the balance frame assembly 2 in the pluggable ultra-thin mechanical keyboard switch drives the driving rod 4 in the pluggable ultra-thin mechanical keyboard switch to move upward, and the driving rod 4 pulls up the conduction driving part 33, causing the conductive member 3 to undergo elastic deformation, and the first elastic arm 32 connected to the conduction driving part 33 is driven to separate from the PCB board 6, thereby realizing the disconnection of the electrical signal. It has good contact stability, convenient and quick installation of the internal structure, accurate conduction and disconnection actions, and good elastic recovery force, thereby improving the accuracy and installation efficiency of the mechanical keyboard switch.

[0029] Regarding the specific structural arrangement of the conductive member 3, as shown in Figures 1 to 2 and Figure 5, the conductive elastic body is a torsion spring, which includes a fixing portion 31 mounted on the fixing base 1, a first elastic arm 32 extending outward from the fixing portion 31, a conductive drive portion 33 integrally formed at the outermost end of the first elastic arm 32 and bent 90 degrees to extend outward, a second elastic arm 34 extending outward from the fixing portion 31 toward the other end, and a conductive fixing portion 35 integrally formed at the outermost side of the second elastic arm 34 and bent inward to extend. By configuring the conductive member 3 as a torsion spring and the integrally formed structure, the conductive member 3 is less likely to break, thereby increasing its service life. The need for a separate mold is eliminated, saving costs and further improving the practicality of the conductive member. By providing a conductive drive portion 33 extending outward in a bent manner at the outermost end of the first elastic arm 32, the drive rod 4 can better pull up the conductive drive portion 33. By providing a conductive fixing portion 35 that is bent and extends inwardly at the outermost side of the second elastic arm 34 , the contact surface is large, so that the conductive member 3 can be better fixedly electrically connected to the PCB board 6 .

[0030] Preferably, the conductive fixing portion 35 is bent inwardly at an angle of 90 degrees, and its contact surface is large, so that the conductive component 3 can be better fixedly electrically connected to the PCB board 6 .

[0031] Preferably, the conduction driving portion 33 is bent outward at an angle of 90 degrees, so that the driving rod 4 can better pull up the conduction driving portion 33 .

[0032] As for other structural features of the pluggable ultra-thin mechanical keyboard switch, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the pluggable ultra-thin mechanical keyboard switch also includes a gimbal assembly 2 rotatably mounted on the fixed base 1. The gimbal assembly 2 includes a gimbal A21 rotatably connected to the fixed base 1, a gimbal B22 rotatably connected to the fixed base 1 and gimbal A21, and a tension spring 23 connected between gimbals A21 and B22. The gimbal assembly 2 provides balance and stability for pressing the mechanical keyboard switch, while the tension spring 23 provides the elastic restoring force to reset the pressed key. The gimbal assembly 2, the drive rod 4, and the fixed base 1, combined with the drive rod 4, combine the press-balancing function with the press-conduction function, thereby reducing the overall height, improving balance, and enhancing contact stability, meeting the needs of various users. During actual use, a keycap is installed on the gimbal A21 and gimbal B22. The specific structure of the balance frame A21 and the balance frame B22, as well as the installation method of the keycaps are not the innovation of the present invention. As for the specific structure, the patent number is 202121092814.4, and the patent name is "A photoelectric key switch with increased pressing feel", which will not be repeated here.

[0033] As shown in Figures 1 and 2 , the drive rod 4 is linked to the balance frame assembly 2 by a pressing linkage block 41 at one end. A pressing protrusion 221 is protruding from the balance frame assembly 2, positioned above the pressing linkage block 41. When the balance frame assembly 2 is pressed downward, the pressing protrusion 221 directly acts on the pressing linkage block 41, thereby driving the drive rod 4 downward. This downward movement of the drive rod 4 also drives the other end of the conductive member 3 downward, establishing electrical continuity between the conductive member 3 and the PCB 6, completing the input. The overall structure is simple, clear, and highly stable.

[0034] As for the linkage mode of the driving rod 4 and the conductive member 3, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, a conductive hook 42 with an overall "∟" shape is formed at the lower part of one end of the driving rod 4 close to the pressing linkage block 41, and the conductive driving part 33 in the conductive member 3 is hooked on the conductive hook 42. The "∟"-shaped structural setting makes the hooking stability of the conductive member 3 better, and is convenient for the manufacturer to install the conductive member 3 from the side to the conductive hook 42, reducing technical difficulty, and making the installation convenient and quick, saving manpower and material resources, and the conductive and disconnecting actions are accurate, thereby improving the accuracy and installation efficiency of the pluggable ultra-thin mechanical keyboard switch.

[0035] As shown in Figures 2 and 5 , the first elastic arm 32 is formed with a downwardly bent conductive contact portion 36. When the balance frame assembly 2 is pressed downward, the pressing protrusion 221 acts on the drive rod 4, which in turn acts on the conductive drive portion 33 of the torsion spring via the conductive hook 42, thereby driving the conductive contact portion 36 until it contacts the PCB 6 to achieve electrical connection and complete a signal input. This precise on / off action improves the accuracy and installation efficiency of the pluggable ultra-thin mechanical keyboard switch.

[0036] Regarding the specific manner in which the conductive member 3 is mounted on the fixing base 1, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, the fixing base 1 is provided with a mounting portion 11 for mounting the conductive member 3. The mounting portion 11 includes a first transverse mounting groove 111 for receiving the conductive drive portion 33, a first longitudinal mounting groove 112 connected to one side of the first transverse mounting groove 111 and for receiving and movably receiving the first elastic arm 32, a fixing portion mounting groove 113 connected to the rear end of the first longitudinal mounting groove 112 and for receiving the fixing portion 31, a second longitudinal mounting groove 114 connected to the other end of the fixing portion mounting groove 113 and for receiving and movably receiving the second elastic arm 34, and a second transverse mounting groove 115 connected to the rear end of the second longitudinal mounting groove 114 and for receiving the conductive fixing portion 35. The conductive fixing portion 35 is pressed against the PCB board 6 via the lower end of the second transverse mounting groove 115. Through the one-to-one corresponding installation groove arrangement, the conductive member 3 is stably installed on the fixing base 1, and has sufficient space to move up and down to realize different operations of conduction and disconnection, and accurately limits the moving stroke of each part of the conductive member 3, effectively preventing the conductive member 3 from shifting during the activity and causing the problem of malfunction. The conduction and disconnection actions are accurate, thereby improving the input efficiency of the mechanical keyboard switch.

[0037] As for the specific method of conducting the conductive member 3 with the PCB, as shown in Figure 2, the PCB board 6 is provided with an electrical connection static contact 61 facing the conductive fixing portion 35, and an electrical connection moving contact 62 facing the conductive contact portion 36. The conductive fixing portion 35 is fixedly pressed against the electrical connection static contact 61, thereby realizing the conduction of one end of the conductive member 3. When the user presses the conductive contact portion 36, the conductive contact portion 36 moves downward due to its own elastic restoring force, so that the conductive contact portion 36 contacts the electrical connection moving contact 62 to realize electrical connection and conduction. When the two ends are conductive, a complete circuit is formed between the conductive member 3 and the PCB board 6, completing a signal input.

[0038] As for the specific relationship between the driving rod 4 and the fixing base 1 when the driving rod 4 is active, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, the driving rod 4 is provided with an embedding groove 43 located directly above the mounting portion 11. When the driving rod 4 moves downward, the mounting portion 11 is embedded in the embedding groove 43, thereby facilitating the movement of the driving rod 4 on the fixing base 1, realizing the elastic reset of the conductive driving portion 33 and the conductive hook 42, so that the switch of the mechanical keyboard is turned on. When the driving rod 4 moves upward, the mounting portion 11 leaves the embedding groove 43, and the conductive hook 42 of the driving rod 4 pulls up the conductive driving portion 33 and the first torsion arm 32, thereby realizing the disconnection of the switch of the mechanical keyboard. The entire operation is smooth, and the mounting portion 11 corresponds to the structure of the movement on the embedding groove 43, so that the activity stroke of the embedding groove 43 is limited, thereby improving the activity accuracy of the driving rod 4 and improving the input efficiency.

[0039] In order to prevent the conductive member 3 from detaching from the top of the fixing base 1 when being pulled, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, the mechanical keyboard switch also includes a dust cover 5 covering the embedding groove 43. The top of the conductive member 3 is blocked by the dust cover 5, so that the conductive member 3 is better restricted by the mounting portion 11, thereby improving the accuracy of the movement and effectively preventing the conductive member 3 from detaching from the top of the fixing base 1 when being pulled.

[0040] The driving rod 4 pressing down to make the conductive contact portion 36 just conduct the PCB board 6, or the driving rod 4 applying force to further press the conductive contact portion 36 down and then conduct the PCB board 6, all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0041] It should be noted that the conductive element of the pluggable ultra-thin mechanical keyboard switch disclosed in this invention is an improvement to the specific structure, and the specific control method is not the innovation of this invention. The keycaps, PCB board, and other components involved in this invention can be commonly used standard parts or components known to those skilled in the art. Their structure, principles, and control methods are all known to those skilled in the art through technical manuals or routine experimental methods.

[0042] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention. Therefore, other structures obtained by adopting the same or similar technical features as the above-mentioned embodiments of the present invention are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A pluggable conductive member of an ultra-thin mechanical keyboard switch, comprising a fixing seat and a conductive member, characterized in that: The conductive member is a conductive elastic body, and a fixing portion is arranged in the middle of the conductive elastic body; a first elastic arm and a second elastic arm extend to both sides respectively from the fixing portion, a conductive driving portion is arranged at the end of the first elastic arm, and a conductive fixing portion is arranged at the second elastic arm.

2. The pluggable conductive member of the ultra-thin mechanical keyboard switch according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conductive elastic body is a torsion spring, which includes a fixed portion mounted on the fixed seat, a first elastic arm extending outward from the fixed portion, a conductive driving portion integrally formed at the outermost end of the first elastic arm and bent to extend outward, a second elastic arm extending outward from the fixed portion toward the other end, and a conductive fixed portion integrally formed at the outermost end of the second elastic arm and bent to extend inward.

3. The conductive member of the pluggable ultra-thin mechanical keyboard switch according to claim 1, characterized in that: A conductive contact portion bent downward is formed on the first elastic arm.

4. The pluggable conductive member of the ultra-thin mechanical keyboard switch according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fixing seat is provided with a mounting portion for mounting the conductive member, and the mounting portion includes a first transverse mounting groove for the conductive driving portion to be placed, a first longitudinal mounting groove connected to one side of the first transverse mounting groove and for the first elastic arm to be placed in and move, a fixing portion mounting groove connected to the tail end of the first longitudinal mounting groove and for the fixing portion to be placed in, a second longitudinal mounting groove connected to the other end of the fixing portion mounting groove and for the second elastic arm to be placed in and move, and a second transverse mounting groove connected to the tail end of the second longitudinal mounting groove and for the conductive fixing portion to be placed in.

5. The conductive member of the pluggable ultra-thin mechanical keyboard switch according to claim 1, characterized in that: The PCB board is provided with an electrical connection static contact directly opposite to the conductive fixing portion, and an electrical connection movable contact directly opposite to the conductive contact portion, and the conductive fixing portion is fixedly pressed against the electrical connection static contact.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Driving block driving single-arm type conduction sound production mechanism applied to keyboard switch

    CN114694992A

  • Novel ultrathin key switch

    CN211376477U

  • Pluggable ultrathin mechanical keyboard switch

    CN220400460U

  • Pluggable ultrathin mechanical keyboard switch

    CN220439463U

  • Conducting piece of pluggable ultrathin mechanical keyboard switch

    CN220439464U