Luminous Keyboard Optical Module Uniform Lighting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Luminous keyboards face challenges in achieving uniform lighting, particularly in slim border designs, due to issues with adhesion between optical films and lateral light leakage, leading to inconsistencies in brightness between outer and inner keyswitches.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an optical module that incorporates a mask film with a mask pattern, a patterned layer, and a light guide sheet, where the light guide sheet's edge-lighting characteristics are enhanced by the mask pattern design and patterned layer, ensuring improved lighting uniformity across keyswitches.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the margin of the border is reduced for slim border design, then the keyboard becomes thinner and more compact, but the lighting uniformity between outer keyswitch and inner keyswitch deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by introducing a patterned layer with different light transmittance values in different regions. Specifically, the patterned layer has a first light transmittance value in regions corresponding to outer keyswitches and a second light transmittance value in regions corresponding to inner keyswitches. This allows the optical module to compensate for the reduced border margin by locally adjusting light transmission characteristics to maintain uniform lighting across all keyswitches.
2Illumination intensity
If multiple optical films are integrated for backlight module, then the lighting function is enhanced, but the adhesion between films and lateral light leakage control becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the mask film and patterned layer into a single integrated optical module structure. The patterned layer is disposed on the mask film, and together they form a unified system that controls light transmission. This integration simplifies the assembly process and improves manufacturing precision by reducing the number of separate components that need to be adhered together, while still providing the enhanced lighting function through the combined effect of the mask pattern and patterned layer.
3Temperature
If holes or openings are added for heat dissipation or positioning, then the thermal management and assembly are improved, but the brightness of keyswitches around the holes becomes inconsistent
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by adjusting the light transmittance of the patterned layer in specific regions. When holes or openings are present for heat dissipation or positioning, the patterned layer has different light transmittance values in regions adjacent to these openings compared to other regions. This allows the system to maintain uniform keyswitch brightness even in the presence of holes, while still providing the necessary heat dissipation and positioning functions.
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 solution effectively enhances the brightness and uniformity of keyswitch lighting, particularly for outer keyswitches, while accommodating slim border designs by compensating for brightness inconsistencies and minimizing lateral light leakage.
Implementation Method 1
a light guide sheet (130) on one side of the mask film (110), wherein the light guide sheet has a light-exit edge
Data Source
AI summary
An optical module for a luminous keyboard includes a mask film having a mask pattern, a patterned layer disposed on the mask film, and a light guide sheet disposed on one side of the mask film. The mask pattern defines a plurality of light-transparent regions respectively corresponding to a plurality of keyswitches of the luminous keyboard. The patterned layer has a light transmittance larger than that of the mask pattern. The light guide sheet has a light-exit edge, and a vertical projection of the light-exit edge of the light guide sheet on the mask film at least partially falls within an outer light-transparent region of the plurality of light-transparent regions. The patterned layer is at least partially located in the outer light-transparent region and adjacent to a region boundary of the outer light-transparent region.