Keyboard Key Detection Using Flux-Dispersing Conductor Geometry
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional keyboard devices that use contactless sensors to detect key depression information face challenges in accurately detecting key depression while maintaining low weight and cost, as thick metal plates are required for stability, leading to increased weight and cost, and thin metal plates result in unstable magnetic flux and inaccurate detection.
Innovation Solution
A keyboard device design featuring a coil generating a magnetic field, a displacement member with a conductor that includes a facing portion and a front surface portion to cover the displacement member's outer surface, allowing accurate detection of key depression information without increasing weight or cost by dispersing magnetic flux concentration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a thick metal plate is used as the conductor, then the magnetic flux stability is improved, but the weight and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The conductor is divided into two functional portions: a facing portion that faces the coil and a front surface portion that covers the front surface of the displacement member. This segmentation allows each portion to be optimized independently - the facing portion provides magnetic flux stability while the front surface portion disperses magnetic flux concentration, enabling accurate detection with a thinner overall conductor structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the conductor are given different functional qualities. The facing portion is positioned to face the coil for stable magnetic flux, while the front surface portion extends to cover the front surface to disperse magnetic flux concentration. This local differentiation of function allows the conductor to achieve both stability and accuracy without requiring uniform thickness throughout.
2Weight of moving object
If a thin metal plate is used as the conductor, then the weight and cost are reduced, but the magnetic flux becomes unstable and detection accuracy decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The conductor is segmented into a facing portion and a front surface portion, allowing the thin conductor to maintain stability through proper geometric configuration rather than relying on thickness. The facing portion provides the necessary magnetic coupling while the front surface portion ensures uniform flux distribution for accurate detection.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of relying on the thickness dimension to provide stability, the invention uses the surface area and geometric configuration in other dimensions. The front surface portion extends in the horizontal plane to disperse magnetic flux concentration, compensating for the reduced thickness without requiring the conductor to be thick.
3Weight of moving object
If a thin metal plate is used as the conductor, then the weight and cost are reduced, but magnetic flux concentration at the end causes unstable sensor output
Solution Approach 1:
The conductor is divided into facing and front surface portions, with the front surface portion specifically designed to address magnetic flux concentration at the front edge. This segmentation allows the thin conductor to maintain stable sensor output by distributing the magnetic flux across a larger surface area rather than concentrating it at the end.
Solution Approach 2:
The front surface portion is given the specific local quality of extending to cover the front surface of the displacement member, creating a region that actively disperses magnetic flux concentration. This local structural differentiation stabilizes the sensor output without requiring increased overall conductor thickness.
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 enables accurate detection of key depression information while maintaining a lightweight and cost-effective design by dispersing magnetic flux concentration, ensuring high accuracy and stability in sensor output without the need for thick metal plates.
Implementation Method 1
a coil generating a magnetic field
Implementation Method 2
dispersing magnetic flux concentration, ensuring high accuracy and stability in sensor output
Data Source
AI summary
A keyboard device and a key depression information detecting method are provided. The keyboard device includes: a coil generating a magnetic field; a displacement member having an outer surface and displaced at a position facing the coil during key depression; and a conductor provided on the displacement member. The conductor includes: a facing portion covering the outer surface of the displacement member to face the coil during key depression; and a front surface portion connected to the facing portion and covering an outer surface of the displacement member which is directed to a front side in a displacement direction of the displacement member.