Laptop Keyboard Structure with Integrated Light Guide
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional luminous laptop keyboards are thick and costly due to the use of flexible printed circuit (FPC) boards and require extensive space on the motherboard for power supply and connections, complicating fabrication and increasing material usage.
Innovation Solution
A laptop keyboard structure featuring a membrane as keys, silica gel keys, scissor-switches, and keycaps with a light guide module that integrates the circuit board and light guide plate, reducing the need for structure bores and allowing for a slim design by using a membrane beneath the base board with apertures for assembly, eliminating the need for separate power circuits and light supply elements on the motherboard.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a conventional FPC board is used for the keyboard, then the keyboard can function properly, but the fabrication becomes complicated and material loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the FPC board from the keyboard structure, replacing it with a membrane that has apertures for computer assembly. This eliminates the complicated FPC fabrication process and associated material loss while maintaining the necessary functionality through the simplified membrane structure with integrated apertures.
2Ease of operation
If structure bores are disposed on the FPC board to cooperate with key slots, then the keyboard can be assembled, but light attenuation occurs on the light guide plate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the structure bores from the light guide plate by placing the membrane with assembly apertures beneath the base board. This extraction eliminates the light attenuation problem caused by holes in the light guide plate while maintaining assembly functionality through the membrane's aperture design.
3Illumination intensity
If a backlight module with LED lights and light guide plate is attached to achieve luminous keyboard, then the keyboard becomes luminous, but the keyboard thickness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the circuit board and light guide plate into a single integrated structure, eliminating the need for separate backlight modules attached to the keyboard. This integration maintains luminous functionality while reducing overall keyboard thickness by consolidating multiple components into one.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated circuit board serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides electrical connections, supports the light guide plate, and enables luminous functionality. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate dedicated backlight components, thereby reducing keyboard thickness.
4Illumination intensity
If separate power supply and connection modules are added to the motherboard for LED lights, then the keyboard can be illuminated, but the motherboard space is largely occupied
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the power circuit layout into the integrated circuit board structure, eliminating the need for separate power supply and connection modules on the motherboard. This integration reduces motherboard space occupation while maintaining full luminous functionality through the consolidated design.
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
This design results in a thinner keyboard with reduced material usage and simplified circuit board fabrication, enabling an extra-slim laptop design without the need for additional backlight components, thus optimizing space and cost efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a light guide board 3 is disposed at the rear of the base board 2
Implementation Method 2
The first layer is white and applied to diffusely reflect the light produced by the light guide plate back to the light guide plate
Implementation Method 3
The first layer is white and applied to diffusely reflect the light produced by the light guide plate back to the light guide plate
Implementation Method 4
On the white layer is coated with black color to prevent the light from passing through the white printing ink to the outside
Implementation Method 5
the opposite side of the light guide module is formed by a luminous layer, which is coated with silver or gloss silver printing ink to facilitate light reflection of the light guide plate
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention discloses a laptop keyboard structure, comprising a base board, a membrane functioning as keys, silica gel keys, scissor-switches and keycaps, wherein the silica gel keys are directly attached to the base board, the keycaps are connected to the base board via the scissor-switches, and beneath the base board is disposed with the membrane, which is arranged with apertures for computer assembly. As the membrane provided in the invention is disposed beneath the base board, structure bores are not required to be arranged on the membrane to cooperate with the key slots, so that fewer structure bores are needed and the fabrication of the membrane is further simplified.