Backlight Keyboard Light Shielding via Base Plate Indentation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional backlight keyboards experience light leakage from gaps around key caps and through holes, which affects their performance and user experience.

Innovation Solution

A backlight keyboard structure featuring a light guide plate, keyboard frame, and base plate with an indentation portion surrounding the through hole, which shields light emitted from the light guide plate and prevents it from entering the through hole, reducing light leakage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a through hole is provided in the base plate for fixing the keyboard frame, then the keyboard structure is simplified and assembly is easier, but light leaks from the through hole affecting illumination quality

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveassembly easeVSAvoidlight leakage

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A light-shielding member is introduced as an intermediary component between the light guide plate and the through hole of the base plate. This member specifically blocks light from entering the through hole while allowing the through hole to remain open for assembly purposes, thus resolving the contradiction between assembly ease and light leakage prevention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The light-shielding function is segmented from the base plate structure and implemented as a separate light-shielding member. This segmentation allows the base plate to maintain its through hole for assembly while the dedicated light-shielding member handles the light blocking function, eliminating the need to close the through hole.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Use of energy by moving object

If the light guide plate directly illuminates through the base plate, then illumination efficiency is high, but light leaks from gaps around key caps and through holes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveillumination efficiencyVSAvoidlight leakage

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The light-shielding member acts as an intermediary that selectively blocks light in specific directions (through holes and gaps) while allowing light to pass through other areas. This maintains overall illumination efficiency by not blocking the main light paths, while preventing harmful light leakage through strategic placement and design of the shielding member.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 indentation portion effectively reduces light leakage by reflecting and absorbing light, ensuring that it does not travel into the through hole, thereby enhancing the keyboard's illumination efficiency and user experience.

Implementation Method 1

the indentation portion shields the light emitted from the light guide plate and reduces the light entering the through hole

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLight reflection: Reflection

Implementation Method 2

The indentation portion effectively reduces light leakage by reflecting and absorbing light

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLight absorption: Absorption (EM radiation)

Data Source

PatentUS9176272B2Backlight keyboard and structure thereof

Publication Date: 2015.11.03 DARFON ELECTRONICS (SUZHOU) CO LTD

AI summary

A backlight keyboard structure includes a light guide plate, a base plate and a keyboard frame. The keyboard frame comprising a fixing portion. The base plate is adjacent to one side of the light guide plate and disposed between the keyboard frame and the light guide plate. The base plate has a through hole corresponding to the fixing portion. The base plate has an indentation portion surrounding the through hole and disposed between the light guide plate and the through hole for shielding.