Multi-Legged Balance Bar for Keyboard Key Cap Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current balance bars in computer keyboards have insufficient supporting points, leading to key cap flipping during actuation, which reduces the sensitivity of key triggering, especially in thinner keyboards with longer press strokes.
Innovation Solution
A multi-legged supporting balance bar structure with an elongated rod and protruding supporting legs, where the legs are symmetrically disposed along the length of the balance bar, providing additional support and a reinforcement portion at the mid-position to enhance stability and prevent key cap flipping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional single-point supporting balance bar is used, then the keyboard structure can be simpler, but the key cap flips during actuation reducing key sensitivity
Solution Approach 1:
The balance bar is segmented into multiple supporting legs (at least three legs) instead of a single supporting point. Each leg independently contacts the base plate, distributing the support function across multiple points. This segmentation prevents key cap flipping by ensuring stable support during actuation, thereby improving key sensitivity while maintaining reasonable structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The balance bar transitions from a single-point (0D contact) or line-contact support to a multi-point areal distribution of support legs. The legs are arranged in specific patterns (e.g., triangular or linear arrangement along the balance bar), creating a stable geometric structure that prevents rotation and flipping of the key cap during actuation.
2Length of stationary object
If the keyboard total height is reduced to be thinner, then the keyboard profile is more compact, but the press stroke becomes longer causing key cap flipping
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the support function into multiple legs, the system achieves stable support with a shorter overall height. The multi-leg configuration creates a stable triangular or polygonal support base that prevents key cap flipping even with longer press strokes, enabling thinner keyboard design without compromising stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The supporting legs are designed with curved or angled configurations rather than straight vertical supports. This allows the legs to accommodate longer press strokes while maintaining contact with the base plate, preventing key cap flipping during actuation in thinner keyboard designs.
3Strength
If the balance bar uses a simple circular cross-section, then the manufacturing is easier, but the supporting intensity is insufficient causing key cap flipping
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing the cross-sectional size of a simple circular balance bar (which would improve strength but complicate manufacturing), the solution segments the support function into multiple legs. This achieves superior supporting intensity through geometric distribution of support points while maintaining simple manufacturing processes for each individual leg component.
Data Source
AI summary
A key device includes a base plate, a key cap and at least one balance bar. The at least one balance bar is with a tabular body and is disposed between the base plate and the key cap. The at least one balance bar has an elongated rod and a plurality of supporting legs connected to the elongated rod and protruded from a lower edge of the elongated rod. The elongated rod is connected to the key cap. The plurality of supporting legs is connected to the base plate.