Keyswitch Interlocking Pivot Mechanism for Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional keyswitch structures face stability issues due to residual structural deformation in pivotally connecting mechanisms, which affects the stability of movement and engagement of supports, and existing interlocking designs either suffer from disengagement or complicated assembly processes.
Innovation Solution
A keyswitch structure featuring interlocking pivotally connecting structures with interference components, including a protruding interference portion and a recess interference portion, that reduce axial deformation and enhance engagement stability by obstructing disengagement and facilitating smooth assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the keyswitch structure or the lift mechanism is reduced in size, then the compactness is improved, but residual structural deformation remains in the shafts, shaft holes, or main bodies of the supports, which worsens the stability of movement
Solution Approach 1:
The pivotal connection is divided into two functional segments: the shaft/shaft hole for rotation and the interference structure for positioning. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function without compromising the other, enabling small size while maintaining movement stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The interference structure acts as an intermediary element between the shaft and shaft hole, providing additional positioning and constraint functions. This intermediary structure ensures stable movement even when the overall size is reduced.
2Ease of manufacture
If the hole portion is provided in a form of an incomplete hole to enable smooth engagement, then the ease of assembly is improved, but the two engaged supports tend to be disengaged from each other, which worsens the stability of engagement
Solution Approach 1:
The connection interface is segmented into the incomplete hole for assembly and the protruding interference structure for engagement stability. This segmentation allows the incomplete hole to facilitate easy assembly while the protruding structure prevents disengagement.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection structure combines two different geometric forms (incomplete hole and protruding interference structure) into a composite connection system, leveraging the advantages of both forms: easy assembly and stable engagement.
3Reliability
If the degree of structural interference of the corresponding hole portion and shaft portion in assembling is raised to enhance the stability of engagement, then the stability of engagement is improved, but the assembling of the pivotally connecting structures becomes difficult, which worsens the ease of assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The connection system is segmented into two distinct components: the shaft with protruding interference structure and the shaft hole with incomplete hole. This segmentation distributes the functional requirements, allowing easy assembly through the incomplete hole while maintaining stable engagement through the protruding structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Different local regions of the connection interface have different qualities: the incomplete hole region provides easy assembly, while the protruding interference structure region provides stable engagement. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between ease of assembly and engagement stability.
Data Source
AI summary
A keyswitch structure includes a keycap, a base plate, a first support, and a second support. The first support and the second support are pivotally connected with each other and are connected to and between the keycap and the base plate. The first support includes a shaft socket, a shaft portion, and a protruding interference portion which are adjacently arranged. Correspondingly, the second support includes a shaft portion, a shaft socket, and a recess interference portion which are adjacently arranged. The recess interference portion has a relief space and a block beside the relief space. The first support and the second support are pivotally connected by engaging the shaft sockets with the corresponding shaft portions; therein, the protruding interference portion is located in the relief space, and the block obstructs the protruding interference portion moving out of the relief space.