Key structure and hall switch

Abstract

Disclosed in the application are a key structure and a Hall switch. The key structure comprises a housing, a core shaft, a magnetic member, a keycap, and a reset member, wherein the housing is provided with a guide channel; the core shaft is slidably mounted in the guide channel, and one end of the core shaft is provided with a connecting portion; the magnetic member is connected to the core shaft; the keycap is slidably mounted on the housing, and is provided with a docking portion, the connecting portion abuts against the docking portion in the axial direction of the core shaft, and a clearance gap is formed between the connecting portion and the docking portion, such that when the keycap deflects relative to the housing, the core shaft is stationary relative to the housing; and the reset member is mounted in the housing, and is used for resetting the core shaft. The Hall switch comprises a circuit board and the key structure, the circuit board being located on the side of the housing facing away from the keycap, and the circuit board being provided with Hall elements.

Description

Button structure and Hall switch

[0001] Related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent applications filed on August 2, 2024, with application numbers 202411058572.5 and 202421875354.6, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This application relates to the field of keyboard technology, and in particular to a key structure and a Hall switch. Background Technology

[0004] Currently, keyboards are widely used as input devices in people's work and entertainment. Among them, mechanical keyboards are one type of keyboard. The main difference between mechanical keyboards and other keyboards lies in their key structure. This key structure mainly includes a housing, a switch, and a keycap. The switch is slidably installed in the guide channel of the housing, and a return spring connects the two. When the user presses the keycap, the switch core is pressed down, triggering the Hall element on the circuit board by the magnetic component mounted on the switch core, thereby generating an input signal.

[0005] However, in the key structure of existing mechanical keyboards, in order to ensure the smooth sliding of the switch, there is usually an assembly gap in the guide channel between the switch and the housing. This causes the switch and magnetic components to wobble when the keycap is subjected to lateral force, resulting in changes in the magnetic field around the Hall element. This leads to the risk of the magnetic component "accidentally touching" the Hall element. This is especially true for keyboards where the Hall element is located on the side of the magnetic component. The horizontal wobble of the switch has a greater impact on the signal pickup accuracy of the Hall element, and the risk of "accidental touch" is even higher. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The main objective of this application is to propose a key structure designed to improve the stability of the key shaft.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, this application proposes a button structure, comprising:

[0008] The housing has a guide channel.

[0009] A shaft core is slidably installed in the guide channel, and a connecting part is provided at one end of the shaft core;

[0010] A magnetic component, which is connected to the shaft core;

[0011] A shaft cap is slidably mounted on the housing. The shaft cap has a mating portion, and the connecting portion abuts against the mating portion in the axial direction of the shaft core. A clearance is formed between the connecting portion and the mating portion so that when the shaft cap deflects relative to the housing, the shaft core remains stationary relative to the housing.

[0012] A reset element is installed in the housing and is used to reset the shaft core.

[0013] In some embodiments of this application, the abutment portion is provided on the side of the axle cap facing the shaft core, the connecting portion is the end face of the shaft core near the axle cap, the middle part of the abutment portion abuts against the connecting portion, and the clearance gap is formed between the periphery of the abutment portion and the abutment portion.

[0014] In some embodiments of this application, the mating portion is a spherical protrusion, the connecting portion is a receiving plane, and the receiving plane abuts against the spherical surface of the spherical protrusion.

[0015] In some embodiments of this application, the end face of the shaft cap near the shaft core is formed with an assembly groove, the mating portion is disposed on the bottom wall of the assembly groove, and the end of the shaft core near the shaft cap is in clearance fit with the assembly groove.

[0016] In some embodiments of this application, a flange is provided on the periphery of one end of the shaft near the shaft cap, and the flange is in clearance fit with the assembly groove;

[0017] The reset component is a reset spring, which is fitted onto the outside of the shaft core, with its two ends pressing against the flange and the housing, respectively.

[0018] In some embodiments of this application, the housing includes an outer shell and a guide portion. The outer shell has a mounting cavity, the guide portion is connected to the cavity wall of the mounting cavity, the guide portion has a guide channel formed therein, and the guide portion is nested between the return spring and the shaft core.

[0019] In some embodiments of this application, the outer casing is provided with a limiting part, and the shaft cap is provided with a positioning part, the positioning part being slidably limited to the limiting part.

[0020] In some embodiments of this application, the key structure further includes a keycap, which is connected to the end of the keycap away from the core.

[0021] In some embodiments of this application, a mounting groove is provided on the end face of the shaft core facing away from the shaft cap, and the magnetic component is installed in the mounting groove.

[0022] This application also proposes a Hall switch, including a circuit board and the aforementioned button structure; the button structure includes:

[0023] The housing has a guide channel.

[0024] A shaft core is slidably installed in the guide channel, and a connecting part is provided at one end of the shaft core;

[0025] A magnetic component, which is connected to the shaft core;

[0026] A shaft cap is slidably mounted on the housing. The shaft cap has a mating portion, and the connecting portion abuts against the mating portion in the axial direction of the shaft core. A clearance is formed between the connecting portion and the mating portion so that when the shaft cap deflects relative to the housing, the shaft core remains stationary relative to the housing.

[0027] A reset element is installed in the housing and is used to reset the shaft core.

[0028] The circuit board is located on the side of the housing opposite to the shaft cap, and the circuit board is provided with a Hall element.

[0029] In the technical solution of this application, when the shaft cap is pressed, the mating part presses against the connecting part, causing the shaft core to move axially and drive the magnetic component to approach the circuit board. The Hall element senses the change in the surrounding magnetic field and generates an input signal. When the pressing force is released, the shaft core is reset under the action of the reset component.

[0030] The shaft core is engaged with the mating part of the shaft cap through the connecting part, and a clearance gap is formed between the connecting part and the mating part. When the shaft cap is subjected to a lateral force, the shaft cap deflects relative to the housing, and one of the connecting part and the mating part retreats into the clearance gap, while the shaft core remains stationary relative to the housing. This effectively avoids the problem of the magnetic component shaking and "accidentally touching" the Hall element, resulting in good stability. Attached Figure Description

[0031] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0032] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a Hall switch embodiment provided in this application;

[0033] Figure 2 is an exploded view of an embodiment of the Hall switch provided in this application;

[0034] Figure 3 is an exploded view of an embodiment of the button structure provided in this application;

[0035] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the button structure provided in this application.

[0036] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0037] 100. Button structure; 10. Housing; 101. Guide channel; 11. Outer shell; 111. Mounting cavity; 112. Limiting part; 12. Guide part; 20. Shaft core; 21. Connecting part; 211. Abutting plane; 22. Flange; 23. Mounting groove; 30. Magnetic component; 40. Shaft cap; 41. Butt joint; 411. Spherical protrusion; 42. Assembly groove; 43. Positioning part; 45. Clearance gap; 50. Reset component; 60. Keycap; 200. Circuit board; 210. Hall element; 300. Protective shell; 1000. Hall switch.

[0038] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of this application will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Embodiments of the present invention

[0039] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0040] It should be noted that if the embodiments of this application involve directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indicators are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indicators will also change accordingly.

[0041] Furthermore, if the embodiments of this application involve descriptions such as "first" or "second," these descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the use of "and / or" or "and / or" throughout the text includes three parallel solutions. For example, "A and / or B" includes solution A, solution B, or a solution that simultaneously satisfies A and B. Furthermore, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed in this application.

[0042] Please refer to Figures 1 to 4. This application proposes a button structure 100, including a housing 10, a shaft core 20, a magnetic component 30, a shaft cap 40, and a reset component 50. The housing 10 has a guide channel 101. The shaft core 20 is slidably installed in the guide channel 101, and one end of the shaft core 20 is provided with a connecting portion 21. The magnetic component 30 is connected to the shaft core 20. The shaft cap 40 is slidably installed in the housing 10 and has a mating portion 41. The connecting portion 21 and the mating portion 41 abut against each other in the axial direction of the shaft core 20, and a clearance gap 45 is formed between the connecting portion 21 and the mating portion 41 so that when the shaft cap 40 deflects relative to the housing 10, the shaft core 20 remains stationary relative to the housing 10. The reset component 50 is installed in the housing 10 and is used to reset the shaft core 20.

[0043] In the technical solution of this application, when the shaft cap 40 is pressed, the mating part 41 presses against the connecting part 21, causing the shaft core 20 to move axially and drive the magnetic component 30 to approach the circuit board 200 together. The Hall element 210 senses the change in the surrounding magnetic field and generates an input signal. When the pressing force is removed, the shaft core 20 is reset under the action of the reset component 50.

[0044] The shaft core 20 is engaged with the mating part 41 of the shaft cap 40 via the connecting part 21, and a clearance gap 45 is formed between the connecting part 21 and the mating part 41. When the shaft cap 40 is subjected to a lateral force, the shaft cap 40 deflects relative to the housing 10, and one of the connecting part 21 and the mating part 41 retreats into the clearance gap 45. In other words, the clearance space between the connecting part 21 and the mating part 41 is reduced in whole or in part. This keeps the shaft core 20 stationary relative to the housing 10, effectively avoiding the problem of the magnetic component 30 shaking and "accidentally touching" the Hall element 210, and has good stability.

[0045] There are various specific implementations of the aforementioned shaft core 20 and shaft cap 40. In some embodiments of this application, a mounting groove 42 is provided on one end face of the shaft cap 40, and four elongated holes are provided on the inner peripheral wall of the mounting groove 42 to form a mating part 41. The four elongated holes are evenly spaced around the mounting groove 42, and the length direction of the elongated holes is the same as the axial direction of the shaft core 20. Four guide posts are protruding from one end peripheral side of the shaft core 20 to form a connecting part 21. The four guide posts are evenly spaced around the shaft core 20, and one guide post is fitted into an elongated hole and can slide along the length direction of the elongated hole. A clearance gap 45 is formed between the wall of the elongated hole and the guide post.

[0046] With the above scheme, when the keycap 60 is not affected by external force, the wall of the long hole near the top of the keycap 60 abuts against the guide post. When the keycap 60 is subjected to vertical pressure, the wall of the long hole abuts against the guide post, thereby causing the spindle 20 to move downward. When the keycap 60 is subjected to lateral pressure, the top wall of the long hole on the pressure side of the keycap 60 is raised, and the guide post moves relative to the clearance gap 45, while the spindle 20 remains stationary relative to the housing 10.

[0047] In some other embodiments of this application, the side of the shaft cap 40 facing the shaft core 20 is provided with a mating portion 41, the connecting portion 21 is the end face of the shaft core 20 near the shaft cap 40, the middle part of the mating portion 41 abuts against the connecting portion 21, and a clearance gap 45 is formed between the periphery of the mating portion 41 and the mating portion 41.

[0048] In this way, the mating part 41 only abuts against the connecting part 21 through the part located in the center, and a clearance gap 45 is formed between the periphery of the mating part 41 and the mating part 41, so that the shaft cap 40 will not drive the shaft core 20 when it is laterally deflected, thus ensuring the stability of the shaft core 20.

[0049] There are various specific implementations of the above-mentioned docking part 41 and connecting part 21. In some embodiments of this application, the docking part 41 is a conical protrusion, the connecting part 21 is set as a plane, and the apex of the conical protrusion abuts against the connecting part 21.

[0050] In some other embodiments of this application, the mating portion 41 is a spherical protrusion 411, and the connecting portion 21 is a receiving surface 211, which abuts against the spherical surface of the spherical protrusion 411. This makes the shaking smoother when the cap 40 is subjected to lateral force, and the spherical protrusion 411 has a strong ability to withstand high-frequency impacts without deformation, which helps to extend the lifespan of the button.

[0051] In some embodiments of this application, the shaft cap 40 and the shaft core 20 are slidably mounted together in the guide channel 101. In other embodiments of this application, an assembly groove 42 is formed on the end face of the shaft cap 40 near the shaft core 20, and a mating portion 41 is disposed on the bottom wall of the assembly groove 42. The end of the shaft core 20 near the shaft cap 40 is clearance-fitted with the assembly groove 42. This structure is more compact.

[0052] The reset element 50 is generally a reset spring, which has good reset effect, fast response speed, and long service life. In some embodiments of this application, a flange 22 is provided on the periphery of the end of the shaft core 20 near the shaft cap 40, and the flange 22 is clearance-fitted with the assembly groove 42; the reset element 50 is a reset spring, which is sleeved on the outside of the shaft core 20, and the two ends of the reset spring abut against the flange 22 and the housing 10 respectively. In this way, when the shaft cap 40 is pressed, the shaft cap 40 abuts against the shaft core 20, and the reset spring is pressed and contracted by the flange 22. After the pressing force on the shaft cap 40 is removed, the reset spring abuts against the flange 22, driving the shaft core 20 to push the shaft cap 40 to reset together.

[0053] In some embodiments of this application, the housing 10 includes an outer shell 11 and a guide portion 12. The outer shell 11 has a mounting cavity 111, and the guide portion 12 is connected to the cavity wall of the mounting cavity 111. A guide channel 101 is formed within the guide portion 12, and the guide portion 12 is nested between the return spring and the shaft core 20. In this design, the guide portion 12 can not only guide the shaft core 20 but also position the return spring. The housing 10 does not require other positioning structures, reducing structural complexity and processing costs, and improving structural compactness.

[0054] The size of the gap between the flange 22 and the mounting groove 42 needs to be proportional to the maximum offset of the shaft cap 40 in the mounting cavity 111. Similarly, the size of the clearance 45 between the spherical protrusion 411 and the abutting plane 211 also needs to be proportional to the maximum offset of the shaft cap 40 in the mounting cavity 111, so as to ensure that the shaft cap 40 will not affect the shaft core 20 when it is offset to the maximum angle. The size of the gap is set according to the specific situation, and no further limitation is made here.

[0055] The shaft cap 40 can be limited by the shaft core 20 and the reset member 50, or by the housing 10. In some embodiments of this application, the housing 11 is provided with a limiting part 112, and the shaft cap 40 is provided with a positioning part 43, which is slidably limited by the limiting part 112. The positioning part 43 and the limiting part 112 have various structures. The positioning part 43 can be a hook, a protrusion, or other structures, and the limiting part 112 can be a groove, a hole, or other structures.

[0056] In some embodiments of this application, the key structure 100 further includes a keycap 60, which is connected to the end of the switch cap 40 away from the switch core 20 to facilitate user pressing.

[0057] The magnetic component 30 is generally installed at the end of the shaft core 20 away from the shaft cap 40. It can be installed on the end face or the side. Preferably, in some embodiments of this application, the end face of the shaft core 20 away from the shaft cap 40 has a mounting groove 23, and the magnetic component 30 is installed in the mounting groove 23. This facilitates assembly, improves assembly efficiency, and reduces assembly costs.

[0058] This application also proposes a Hall switch 1000, including a circuit board 200 and the aforementioned key structure 100. The circuit board 200 is located on the side of the housing 10 away from the shaft cap 40, and the circuit board 200 is provided with Hall elements 210. When the Hall switch 1000 is a keyboard, multiple key structures 100 are provided, and multiple Hall elements 210 are integrated on the circuit board 200, with each Hall element 210 positioned opposite to each key structure 100.

[0059] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of this application and does not limit the patent scope of this application. Any equivalent structural transformations made based on the technical concept of this application and the contents of the specification and drawings of this application, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A key structure (100), wherein, The application relates to a key structure (100), which comprises the following parts: a shell (10) provided with a guide channel (101); a shaft core (20) slidingly installed in the guide channel (101), one end of the shaft core (20) being provided with a connecting part (21); a magnetic part (30) connected to the shaft core (20); a shaft cap (40) slidingly installed in the shell (10), the shaft cap (40) being provided with a butt joint part (41), the connecting part (21) and the butt joint part (41) abutting in the axial direction of the shaft core (20), and a clearance (45) being formed between the connecting part (21) and the butt joint part (41) so that the shaft core (20) is static relative to the shell (10) when the shaft cap (40) deflects relative to the shell (10); a reset part (50) installed in the shell (10) and used for resetting the shaft core (20).

2. The key structure (100) according to claim 1, wherein One side of the shaft cap (40) facing the shaft core (20) is provided with the butt joint part (41), the connecting part (21) is an end surface of the shaft core (20) facing the shaft cap (40), the middle part of the butt joint part (41) abuts against the connecting part (21), and the clearance (45) is formed between the periphery of the butt joint part (41) and the butt joint part (41).

3. The key structure (100) according to claim 2, wherein The butt joint part (41) is a spherical convex (411), and the connecting part (21) is a bearing plane (211) abutting against the spherical surface of the spherical convex (411).

4. The key structure (100) according to claim 2, wherein An assembly groove (42) is formed in the end surface of the shaft cap (40) close to the shaft core (20), the butt joint part is arranged on the groove bottom wall of the assembly groove (42), and the end of the shaft core (20) close to the shaft cap (40) is in clearance fit with the assembly groove (42).

5. The key structure (100) according to claim 4, wherein A flange (22) is arranged on the periphery of the end of the shaft core (20) close to the shaft cap (40), and the flange (22) is in clearance fit with the assembly groove (42); The reset part (50) is a reset spring, the reset spring is sleeved outside the shaft core (20), and the two ends of the reset spring abut against the flange (22) and the shell (10) respectively.

6. The key structure (100) according to claim 5, wherein The shell (10) comprises an outer shell (11) and a guide part (12), the outer shell (11) is provided with an installation cavity (111) inside, the guide part (12) is connected to the cavity wall of the installation cavity (111), the guide channel (101) is formed in the guide part (12), and the guide part (12) is nested between the reset spring and the shaft core (20).

7. The key structure (100) according to claim 6, wherein The outer shell (11) is provided with a limiting part (112), and the shaft cap (40) is provided with a positioning part (43) which is slidably limited in the limiting part (112).

8. The key structure (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein The key structure (100) further comprises a key cap (60) connected to the end of the shaft cap (40) away from the shaft core (20).

9. The key structure (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein An installation groove (23) is formed in an end face of the shaft core (20) away from the shaft cap (40), and the magnetic member (30) is installed in the installation groove (23).

10. A Hall switch (1000) comprising a circuit board (200) and the key structure (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 9. The circuit board (200) is located on a side of the shell (10) away from the shaft cap (40), and the circuit board (200) is provided with a Hall element (210).

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