Light-Emitting Keyboard Assembly Without a Light Guide Plate
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional light-emitting keyboards suffer from poor lighting effects, high costs, increased weight and thickness due to additional components, and poor heat dissipation, primarily because they rely on light guide plates or LED modules that require complex structures and additional boards.
Innovation Solution
A light-emitting keyboard design featuring a membrane switch with a metal bottom plate, insulation layer, circuit layer, protective layer, and light-emitting beads that directly illuminate key caps without a light guide plate, utilizing a buckle to connect scissors for pressing, and a layered component for lens effect, eliminating the need for FPC boards and additional holes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a light guide plate is used to transmit light from an LED module, then the keyboard has a light-emitting function, but the lighting effect is poor and energy utilization rate is low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the light guide plate from the keyboard structure, using LED beads that emit light directly upward to illuminate key caps. This removes the intermediate light transmission component that caused multiple reflections and refractions, thereby improving both lighting effect and energy utilization rate.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a reflective layer as an intermediary between the LED bead and the key cap. This reflective layer redirects upward-emitted light toward the key cap, enhancing illumination efficiency without requiring a light guide plate, thus improving lighting effect while maintaining energy utilization.
2Illumination intensity
If additional holes are made on the bottom plate for light transmission, then the light-emitting function is achieved, but the strength of the bottom plate is reduced and manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of making holes in the bottom plate for light transmission, the patent inverts the approach by placing LED beads that emit light upward directly through the membrane switch structure. The light transmission path is created through the membrane switch rather than through holes in the bottom plate, preserving bottom plate strength while achieving light emission.
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane switch serves multiple functions: it acts as both the input interface and as the light transmission medium. By utilizing the membrane switch's inherent transparency to light, the patent eliminates the need for additional holes in the bottom plate, maintaining structural integrity while enabling light emission.
3Illumination intensity
If an LED substrate is added to fix and package the LED component, then the light-emitting function is achieved, but material cost and processing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the LED bead fixation directly onto the membrane switch structure, eliminating the need for a separate LED substrate. The LED bead is positioned and fixed within the membrane switch assembly during the same manufacturing process, reducing material costs and simplifying processing while maintaining proper component fixation.
4Illumination intensity
If additional boards are placed under the bottom plate, then the light-emitting function is achieved, but the overall thickness and weight increase and heat dissipation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the additional support board from the keyboard structure. By directly integrating the LED beads into the membrane switch assembly and using the existing bottom plate structure, the design removes the extra layer that increased weight and thickness, while maintaining the light-emitting function through direct LED illumination.
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 design achieves a good lighting effect without dazzling, reduces material and production costs, maintains structural integrity, and enhances heat dissipation, resulting in a lightweight and thin keyboard.
Implementation Method 1
a light-emitting bead arranged on at least two spaced end portions and electrically connected to the end portions
Implementation Method 2
a layered component arranged on outer side of the light-emitting bead for protection and lens effect
Data Source
AI summary
A light-emitting keyboard is disclosed, which includes a membrane switch, a key cap located above the membrane switch, scissors arranged below the key cap and a light-emitting assembly. The light-emitting assembly includes a bottom plate, an insulation layer arranged on the bottom plate, a circuit layer located on the insulation layer and having circuits, a protective layer covering the circuits and exposing end portions of the circuits, a light-emitting bead arranged on at least two spaced end portions and electrically connected to the end portions, and a layered component arranged on outer side of the light-emitting bead. A buckle extending upward and penetrating the membrane switch is connected to lower edges of the scissors such that a position of the light-emitting bead corresponds to that of the key cap, and the light-emitting bead emits light to illuminate the key cap when the circuit layer is energized.