Backlit Keyswitch Elastic Structure for Uniform Symbol Illumination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing backlight keyswitch designs suffer from poor light transmittance and uneven lighting due to the structural thickness of the elastic body connecting the keycap and backlight source, causing internal shadows and affecting visual effects.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates an elastic body with a ring-shaped base and central pillar, where the central pillar is suspended and projects onto the keycap to cover the symbol, allowing direct light emission without passing through the elastic body's connection area, enhancing light transmittance and uniformity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If the elastic body is disposed between the keycap and the backlight source to connect them, then the keycap can be connected to the membrane circuit board and the elastic force can return the keycap to its original position, but the light emitted by the backlight source must pass through the area where the elastic body is connected to the keycap, resulting in poor light transmittance and internal shadows
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic body is segmented into a ring-shaped base and a central pillar, with the central pillar creating a suspended structure that separates the light transmission path from the connection path. This segmentation allows light to pass through the center without being blocked by the elastic body's connection area, resolving the contradiction between maintaining structural connection and ensuring light transmittance.
Solution Approach 2:
The central pillar acts as an intermediary structure that supports the keycap while allowing light to pass through the space around it. The pillar's projection completely covering the symbol ensures that light reaches the symbol without passing through the elastic body's connection area, thereby improving light transmittance while maintaining the elastic body's structural function.
2Ease of operation
If the light emitted by the backlight source passes through the elastic body's connection area to reach the symbol, then the elastic body can maintain its structural function, but internal shadows are formed causing uneven lighting of the symbol
Solution Approach 1:
The design extracts the light transmission path from the elastic body's connection area by using the central pillar's projection to completely cover the symbol. This separation ensures that light travels through a clear path without being obstructed by the elastic body's structural thickness, eliminating internal shadows and achieving uniform lighting.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic body is designed with different structural characteristics in different areas: the ring-shaped base provides connection support while the central pillar's projection creates a light-transmissive zone. This local differentiation allows the elastic body to maintain its mechanical function while ensuring uniform light transmission to the symbol.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design significantly improves lighting uniformity and visual effect by ensuring all light reaches the symbol without internal shadows, providing a more consistent and aesthetically pleasing keyswitch illumination.
Implementation Method 1
The backlight module is disposed under the membrane circuit board for emitting light to the symbol via the membrane circuit board
Implementation Method 2
the elastic body deforms to press and trigger a switch on the membrane circuit board, thereby generating a corresponding keyswitch signal. In addition, an elastic force provided by the elastic body can also return the keycap back to its original position
Data Source
AI summary
A backlight keyswitch includes a keyswitch body, a membrane circuit board disposed under the keyswitch body, a backlight module and an elastic body having a bridge structure, a central pillar, and a ring-shaped base disposed on the membrane circuit board. The keyswitch body has a keycap with a symbol. The backlight module is disposed under the membrane circuit board for emitting light to the symbol. The elastic body is disposed between the keycap and the membrane circuit board for returning the keycap to its original position. The bridge structure extends from the ring-shaped base toward the keycap to connect to the central pillar for supporting the central pillar, such that the central pillar is suspended relative to the membrane circuit board and abuts against the keycap. A projection of the central pillar on the keycap completely covers the symbol.