Push Button With Haptic Feedback For Thin Keyboards
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional mechanical key designs face challenges in maintaining desirable feel and performance in thinner keyboards, as rubber dome switches offer desirable feel but limited travel, while metal dome switches meet thickness specs but lack desirable feel, and haptic feedback devices provide sensory feedback without physical travel.
Innovation Solution
A push button with a spring element for user-perceptible physical travel and a haptic element that simulates additional travel, enhancing the perceived key travel through vibration or motion, integrated into a keyboard with arrays of spring and haptic elements under each key.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If rubber dome switches are used, then desirable key feel and performance are achieved, but key travel is limited and keyboard thickness cannot be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines a rubber dome switch with a haptic feedback device into a single integrated key assembly. The rubber dome provides the mechanical key feel while the haptic device simulates additional travel, allowing the keyboard to maintain desirable operation characteristics while reducing overall thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces part of the mechanical key travel system with a haptic feedback device that simulates additional travel through controlled vibration and motion. This substitution allows the keyboard to achieve perceived greater key travel without the corresponding increase in physical thickness.
2Length of moving object
If metal dome switches are used, then keyboard thickness specification is met, but desirable key feel and performance are not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges a metal dome switch structure with a haptic feedback device to compensate for the limited key feel. The metal dome provides the necessary thickness reduction while the haptic device adds simulated travel and enhanced tactile feedback to achieve desirable key performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The haptic feedback device acts as an intermediary between the user's finger and the metal dome switch. It provides enhanced tactile feedback and simulated key travel, mediating the interaction to compensate for the metal dome's inherently limited key feel characteristics.
3Loss of information
If haptic feedback devices are used without physical travel, then sensory feedback is provided, but desirable key feel and performance are not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines real mechanical key travel from a rubber dome or metal dome switch with haptic feedback device output. This merging provides both authentic tactile feedback from physical travel and enhanced sensory feedback from the haptic device, achieving desirable key feel that neither component could provide alone.
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
Combining physical and simulated key travel provides a more desirable feel and performance, meeting the thickness requirements of thinner keyboards while offering improved user experience.
Implementation Method 1
a haptic element that simulates additional travel of the push button upon depression of the push button
Data Source
AI summary
Mechanical key design for keyboards often includes rubber or metal dome switches along with scissor mechanisms that offer a desirable feel and overall performance or achieve the key travel necessary to meet shrinking overall keyboard thickness specifications, but not both. Haptic feedback devices offer a user sensory feedback signifying a selection has been made without any physical travel of a keypad, but also may not offer the user a desirable feel and overall performance. The following describes in detail keys or push buttons that offer the user a desirable feel and performance, while meeting shrinking overall keyboard thickness specifications.