Keyboard Illumination via Reflective Substrate and Transmissive Keycaps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing keyboard designs fail to provide complete and uniform illumination, especially in low-light environments common in gaming settings, leading to difficulties in key identification and increased gameplay time due to inadequate reflection of light.
Innovation Solution
A keyboard structure featuring a substrate with a reflective surface and a key switch assembly that includes a light emitting diode positioned between the keycap and the substrate, ensuring uniform illumination by reflecting light onto surrounding areas and through optically transmissive keycap portions, with optional multi-color zones for enhanced identification and aesthetics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If minimal environmental light is used to enhance gaming experience, then the gaming atmosphere is improved, but the keys become invisible and difficult to identify
Solution Approach 1:
Light-emitting diodes are pre-installed within the keyboard structure, positioned to illuminate keys before they are pressed. This preliminary illumination ensures keys are visible and identifiable even in minimal environmental light conditions, while maintaining the desired gaming atmosphere.
Solution Approach 2:
The light-emitting diodes act as an intermediary between the minimal environmental light and the keys, providing the necessary illumination to make keys visible without requiring increased environmental lighting that would compromise the gaming atmosphere.
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 improved uniformity and intensity of illumination, enhancing key visibility and gaming experience by ensuring consistent light distribution across the keyboard, even in minimal light conditions, and allowing for easy identification of control zones through color differentiation.
Implementation Method 1
The substrate has a reflective surface which reflects light from the light emitting diode onto surrounding areas
Implementation Method 2
light from the light source toward the depression and penetrates the keycap
Data Source
AI summary
A keyboard structure for improving the uniformity of illumination comprises a substrate having a reflective surface and a key switch assembly. The key switch assembly is disposed adjacent and specifically on top of the substrate and comprises a keycap, a contact assembly and a light emitting means. The light emitting means can be located either between the keycap and the contact assembly or on the substrate and adjacent to the contact assembly. The keycap further has a portion which is optically transmissive. The light from the light emitting means, directly and/or after reflecting from the reflective surface passes through one or more of the gap between adjacent keycaps or a row of keycaps and through the optically transmissive portion of the keycaps, thus illuminating the keyboard structure. Different colours may be used in different zones of the keyboard. The reflective surface and the light emitting means can have the same colour.