Display Keyboard Keycaps With Dynamic Labels and Elastic Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional keyboards lack user-definable text or patterns on keycaps and luminous effects, limiting user customization and visual feedback.
Innovation Solution
A keyboard device with a display panel featuring hollow portions, elastic portions, and display surfaces, where light transmittance keycaps cover the display surfaces, allowing image projection and providing a stable pressing sensation through elastic deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If text or pattern is printed on the keycap before the product leaves the factory, then the key has a specific input function and the user can identify the input function, but the text or pattern cannot be defined by the user himself and cannot be changed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical printing method on keycaps with an electronic display system. The display panel with display surfaces substitutes the fixed printed text/pattern, allowing dynamic content to be shown through light transmittance keycaps. This enables user customization without adding complex mechanical structures for changing physical keycap labels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic content display capability to the keyboard. The display surfaces can dynamically change the text or pattern shown on each key based on user definitions and current input commands, making the keyboard adaptable rather than static. This allows the same physical key to have different functions and labels at different times.
2Loss of information
If additional macro keys are equipped to allow the user to switch the input commands, then the user can define input commands, but the images on the keys cannot be changed accordingly so the user cannot know the input commands at once
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements visual feedback by displaying the current input command directly on the display surface corresponding to each key. When a user presses a key, the display panel shows the associated command or function on that specific key's display surface, providing immediate visual confirmation. This eliminates the need for separate macro key documentation or memorization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the display panel serve multiple functions: it provides visual feedback for input commands, displays customizable text or patterns, and integrates with the keycap structure. The light transmittance keycaps also serve dual purposes as both the physical key surface and the medium for displaying visual feedback, reducing the need for additional separate components.
3Illumination intensity
If the display panel is clamped between the light transmittance keycaps, the scissors feet assembly, and the elastic member, then the generated image can be projected out of the keyboard through the light transmittance keycap without obstacles, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the display panel structure with the existing keyboard mechanical components. The display panel is integrated into the space between the light transmittance keycaps and the scissors feet assembly, utilizing the existing structural voids. This merging approach allows image projection through the keycaps without requiring separate dedicated mounting structures for the display panel.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a nested structure where the display panel is positioned within the existing keyboard assembly layers. The display panel fits into the space created by the keycap, scissors feet assembly, and elastic member arrangement, similar to nested dolls. This nesting allows the display components to be housed within the existing keyboard footprint without adding significant external complexity.
4Ease of operation
If the elastic portion is driven to elastically deform when the light transmittance keycap is pressed, then the elastic member and elastic portion can provide support and reset effect, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses an elastic portion made of flexible material that can deform under pressure and return to its original shape. This elastic film or membrane provides the necessary mechanical compliance for key press detection and reset, replacing or supplementing traditional rigid mechanical switches. The flexible nature of this component allows it to integrate smoothly with both the keycap and display panel structures.
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
Enables user-defined text or patterns and enhanced pressing sensation by projecting images through light transmittance keycaps without obstacles, while the elastic portions support and reset the display panel and keycaps.
Implementation Method 1
when the light transmittance keycap of the keyboard device is pressed, the elastic portion is also driven to elastically deform
Implementation Method 2
an image generated by the display panel is transmitted upwards and projected out of the keyboard through the light transmittance keycap
Data Source
AI summary
A keyboard device with a display panel including a base, a scissors feet assembly movably disposed on the base, an elastic member disposed on the base, a display panel supported by the scissors feet assembly and the elastic member, and multiple light transmittance keycaps disposed on the display panel is provided. The display panel has multiple display surfaces, multiple hollow portions, and multiple elastic portions. Each of the display surfaces is surrounded by the hollow portions, and is suspended between the hollow portions by the elastic portions. The light transmittance keycaps respectively and correspondingly cover the display surfaces.