Keycap Lifting Structure for Stable Miniaturized Keyswitches
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Solution Overview
Problem
The miniaturization of keyswitch structures leads to reduced space for components, compromising structural strength and stability, particularly in the transmission between supports and affecting the stability of keycap movement.
Innovation Solution
A keycap lifting mechanism is designed with a protruding block on a long arm of a support to enhance structural strength, and specific ratio limitations are imposed on the minimum width of the long arm relative to the pivot axis to maintain stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the keyswitch structure is miniaturized to reduce component size, then the compactness of the device is improved, but the structural strength and stability of the support components deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by adding a protruding block at a specific location on the support's long arm to reinforce the local structural strength. This allows the overall device to remain miniaturized while the critical support area gains enhanced strength through the localized protruding structure that prevents deformation during operation.
2Volume of moving object
If the keyswitch structure is miniaturized to reduce component size, then the compactness of the device is improved, but the stability of movement and transmission between components deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The protruding block is strategically positioned on the support to locally enhance the stability of movement and force transmission between the support and other components. This localized reinforcement ensures stable operation during keycap actuation while maintaining the overall miniaturized structure.
3Strength
If the support structure is reinforced to increase structural strength, then the stability of movement is improved, but the space available for other components is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniformly increasing the size of the entire support structure, the patent applies local quality by adding only a protruding block at the critical reinforcement location. This minimizes the space occupied by the reinforcement feature while providing sufficient structural strength, thereby preserving space for other components in the miniaturized keyswitch assembly.
4Strength
If the minimum width of the long arm is increased to prevent deformation, then the structural strength is improved, but the device dimensions and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent avoids increasing the overall dimensions of the long arm by applying local quality through the protruding block. This localized feature provides the necessary structural strength to prevent deformation during operation while maintaining the original compact dimensions and simplicity of the long arm structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A keycap lifting mechanism includes first and second supports pivotally connected around a pivot axis through their staggered support arms. The structural design of the first and second supports enhances the stability of the keycap lifting mechanism in supporting a keycap. For example, a long arm of the first support has a protruding block extending into a corresponding notch formed on an end of the support arm of the second support. A minimum width of the long arm of the first support is 0.4 to 0.67 times a distance from an outer edge of the long arm to the pivot axis. A ratio value of the minimum width to the distance is 0.8 to 1.2 times a ratio value of a minimum width of a long arm of the second support to a distance from an outer edge of the long arm of the second support to the pivot axis.