Keyboard Backlight Module With Reflective Pad Layout for Uniform Keys
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lighting keyboards suffer from inconsistent illuminating effects due to over-illumination of main symbols, under-illumination of corner symbols, and inconsistent lighting around keycap peripherals.
Innovation Solution
A backlight module comprising a light emitting unit, a light guide plate, and a lighting board with a reflective layer and pads with hollow areas, which ensures consistent illumination by reflecting and diffusing light across keyswitches.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If a low luminous LED is used to illuminate each square keyswitch, then power consumption is reduced, but illuminating consistency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
A light guide plate is introduced as an intermediary component between the LED and the keyswitches. The light guide plate receives light from the LED and guides/distributes it across the keyswitch area, enabling consistent illumination while using a low-power LED source.
Solution Approach 2:
The light guide plate has different optical properties in different regions - it is configured to guide light differently to various parts of the keyswitch (main symbol area vs. corner symbol areas) to achieve uniform illumination across the entire keyswitch surface.
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
The solution achieves high illuminating consistency across a single keyswitch and the entire keyboard, addressing issues of over-illumination and under-illumination, and ensuring uniform light distribution.
Implementation Method 1
the lighting board comprises a first reflective layer surrounding the light emitting unit and at least partially covering the at least one pair of pads
Implementation Method 2
the first reflective layer reflects and diffuses light of the light emitting unit
Data Source
AI summary
A backlight module is configured to illuminate at least one key cap. The backlight module includes a light emitting unit, a light guide plate and a lighting board. The light guide plate has a light guide plate hole for accommodating the light emitting unit. The lighting board has at least one pair of pads connected to the light emitting unit respectively. The lighting board includes a first reflective layer surrounding the light emitting unit and at least partially covering the at least one pair of pads. Each of the at least one pair of pads has a plurality of branches and at least one hollow area. The at least one hollow area overlaps with at least one part of the light emitting unit. At least one lighting area is located between the at least one pair of pads.