Keyboard Flywheel One-Way Clutch for Noise and Keying Trade-off
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing keyboard devices face a trade-off between improving the ease of continuous keying and controlling noise, as structures that inhibit key return to maintain engagement often generate noise, while those that allow key return to enhance ease of keying may compromise on noise control.
Innovation Solution
A keyboard device featuring a flywheel with an inner and outer wheel configured as a one-way clutch, where torque is transmitted during key pressing but not during key release, allowing for a balanced experience in ease of continuous keying and noise control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If engagement between key and mass body is maintained to curb noise, then noise control is improved, but ease of continuous keying deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the engagement state between the key and mass body changeable. The engagement piece is configured to be engaged with the guide groove during key pressing to maintain connection and prevent noise, but can be separated during key release to allow quick return. This dynamic adjustment of engagement state resolves the contradiction between noise control and ease of continuous keying.
2Ease of operation
If engagement between key and mass body is canceled to improve ease of continuous keying, then ease of continuous keying is improved, but noise is generated
Solution Approach 1:
The engagement mechanism dynamically adjusts its state based on operational phase. During key release, the engagement piece separates from the guide groove to eliminate inertial moment interference and enable quick key return. During subsequent key pressing, re-engagement occurs to prevent noise. This temporal separation of engagement states resolves the contradiction.
3Ease of operation
If mass body is interlocked with key turning to apply key touching feeling, then key touching feeling is improved, but returning of key is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically changes the coupling state between key and mass body. During key pressing, the engagement piece is engaged with the guide groove to transmit force and provide key touching feeling through the mass body's inertial moment. During key release, the engagement is canceled to allow the key to return quickly without being dragged back by the mass body's inertia. This resolves the contradiction between providing tactile feedback and enabling quick return.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the operational cycle into distinct phases with different engagement states. The engagement piece and guide groove structure allows the system to switch between engaged state (during pressing) and separated state (during release). This segmentation of the operational process enables the system to optimize for different functions at different times, resolving the contradiction between key touching feeling and return speed.
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 efficient key pressing with reduced noise generation by ensuring the flywheel's inertial moment is utilized during key pressing and minimized during key release, enhancing both keying ease and noise management.
Implementation Method 1
a flywheel 1 turned by an actuator 3 of a key 9, and thus a key touching feeling is applied to the key 9... inhibition of returning of the key 9 due to the inertial moment of the flywheel 1 can be curbed
Data Source
AI summary
A keyboard device is provided including a chassis; a mass body which is turnably installed in the chassis; and transmission means which transmits a driving force in response to key touching of a key to the mass body, wherein the mass body includes an inner wheel and an outer wheel installed on a radially outward side of the inner wheel and is configured to serve as a component for transmitting a torque in one-way direction between the inner wheel and the outer wheel. The transmission means is engaged with one of the inner wheel and the outer wheel of the mass body. The torque is transmitted between the inner wheel and the outer wheel of the mass body at a time of key touching. The torque is not transmitted between the inner wheel and the outer wheel of the mass body at a time of key release.