Keycap Assembly Hemispherical Socket Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional keycap structures with crater mechanisms often become stuck, especially at corners, requiring excessive force for pressing due to limited movable space and guiding post restrictions.
Innovation Solution
A keycap assembly comprising a keycap with a central shaft having a hemispherical portion and a holder with an arcuate socket, allowing increased displacement and preventing sticking by providing a two-piece structure with non-restrictive guiding post design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a crater structure with guiding post is used to guide keycap movement, then the keycap movement is constrained vertically, but the movable space is limited and the keycap easily becomes stuck
Solution Approach 1:
The keycap assembly is divided into two separate components: the keycap body and the holder. The holder contains the guiding post and connects to the restoring member, while the keycap body contains the pressing portion. This segmentation allows the guiding post to constrain vertical movement of the holder without limiting the keycap body's ability to tilt and shift, resolving the contradiction between movement constraint and operational ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The holder acts as an intermediary component between the keycap body and the restoring member. It accepts the guiding post constraint for vertical movement while transmitting the pressing force to the restoring member. This intermediary structure decouples the vertical constraint function from the keycap body, allowing the keycap to tilt and shift freely during operation.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the guiding post limits the keycap movement to vertical direction only, then oblique motion is prevented, but excessive force is required to press the keycap
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the keycap into keycap body and holder components, the vertical movement constraint is applied only to the holder through the guiding post. The keycap body remains free to tilt and shift during pressing, reducing the force required while maintaining directional control through the holder's constrained vertical movement.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the keycap corner is pressed, the movable space is limited due to guiding post constraint, but the keycap structure becomes more prone to sticking
Solution Approach 1:
The segmentation of keycap body and holder allows the holder to maintain vertical alignment through guiding post constraint while the keycap body can tilt and shift during corner pressing. This prevents the keycap from sticking by providing additional degrees of freedom to the keycap body without compromising the vertical alignment function.
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 keycap assembly enhances movable space, preventing sticking and reducing the force required for pressing, achieving a labor-saving effect by allowing the keycap to shift or tilt without restriction.
Implementation Method 1
The central shaft has a hemispherical portion adjacent to the bottom surface. The holder comprises a shaft bore having an arcuate socket. The central shaft passes through the shaft bore and contacts the restoring member, and the hemispherical portion is accommodated in the arcuate socket.
Data Source
AI summary
A key structure includes a casing, a restoring member and a keycap assembly. The casing has an opening. The restoring member is disposed in the casing. The keycap assembly includes a keycap and a holder. The keycap includes a pressing portion and a central shaft. The pressing portion has a bottom surface. The central shaft connects to the bottom surface. The central shaft has a hemispherical portion adjacent to the bottom surface. The holder is inserted into the casing via the opening and contacts the restoring member. The holder includes a shaft bore. The shaft bore has an arcuate socket. The central shaft passes through the shaft bore and contacts the restoring member, and the hemispherical portion is accommodated in the arcuate socket.