Keyboard Key Structure With Telescopic Sleeve for Linear Stroke Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing keyboards fail to provide sufficient linear control and feedback, leading to an idle stroke and inadequate sense of operation due to the instantaneous deformation of rubber domes and force sensing membranes, which cannot accurately reflect speed, acceleration, force, direction, and continuous control required in e-sports games.
Innovation Solution
A key structure featuring a base, force sensing membrane, scissors mechanism, telescopic sleeves, and a spring, where the telescopic sleeves extend to contact the force sensing membrane when not pressed, allowing immediate deformation and linear stroke change upon pressing, enabling precise control and reduced thickness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If rubber dome is used for key structure, then the key can be simplified and manufactured easily, but the key produces idle stroke and cannot provide sufficient linear control and feedback
Solution Approach 1:
The key structure is segmented into multiple functional components: key cap, scissor mechanism, telescopic sleeve, spring, and force sensing membrane. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function - the telescopic sleeve provides linear movement, the spring provides force feedback, and the force sensing membrane provides precise pressure detection, thereby resolving the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and control precision
Solution Approach 2:
The telescopic sleeve acts as an intermediary component between the key cap and the force sensing membrane. It transmits the linear pressing motion while the spring provides continuous force feedback, eliminating the idle stroke problem of rubber dome keys and enabling precise linear control without complicating the overall manufacturing process
2Length of stationary object
If rubber dome deforms instantaneously to contact force sensing membrane, then the key structure can be compact, but the user experiences idle stroke and insufficient pressing stroke
Solution Approach 1:
The telescopic sleeve is pre-configured with the spring inside it, and the bottom of the sleeve is positioned to contact the force sensing membrane before pressing. This preliminary arrangement ensures that when the user presses the key, the linear motion is immediately transmitted to the membrane without idle stroke, providing quality pressing stroke while maintaining compact thickness
Solution Approach 2:
The spring inside the telescopic sleeve provides dynamic force feedback during the pressing process. As the user presses the key, the spring compresses and provides continuous resistance, enabling the force sensing membrane to detect the pressing force in real-time and providing the user with tactile feedback, thereby improving pressing stroke quality without increasing key thickness
3Measurement precision
If telescopic sleeves are used to provide linear stroke, then immediate reflection of pressed state is achieved, but the key structure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The telescopic sleeve combines multiple functions into a single component: it provides the linear pressing motion, houses the spring for force feedback, and transmits the force to the sensing membrane. This merging reduces the overall structural complexity compared to having separate components for each function, while still achieving immediate and precise detection of the pressed state
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 key structure provides a linear axis for enhanced control effects and operating feel, eliminating idle strokes and allowing for immediate reflection of the pressed state, while maintaining a thin and light design, and can be adapted to existing keyboards using single or double force sensing membranes.
Implementation Method 1
presses the force sensing membrane by deforming the spring and shortening the telescopic sleeves
Data Source
AI summary
A key structure of keyboard including a base, a force sensing membrane disposed on the base, a scissors mechanism, a key cap assembly, a telescopic sleeves assembled to the key cap assembly, and a spring is provided. A side of the scissors mechanism is movably coupled to the base and located on the force sensing membrane, and another side of the scissors mechanism is pivoted to the key cap assembly. The spring is received in the telescopic sleeves, leaned against and between the key cap assembly and a bottom of the telescopic sleeves. When the key structure is not pressed, the telescopic sleeves are extended from the key cap assembly, and the bottom of the telescopic sleeves contacts the force sensing membrane. In a process of pressing the key cap assembly, the key cap assembly moves toward the force sensing membrane and the base, presses the force sensing membrane by deforming the spring and shortening the telescopic sleeves.