Rubber Mat Keyboard Vibration and ESD Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing keyboards fail to provide adequate protection against vibration, shock, and electrostatic discharge (ESD) in harsh environmental conditions, despite some being dustproof and waterproof.
Innovation Solution
A rubber mat keyboard design that incorporates plastic bushings for insulation and elasticity, a retainer plate for reinforcement, and silicone mats for damping and sealing, ensuring the printed circuit board is insulated and protected from impacts and ESD without gaps, while maintaining cost-effectiveness and ease of installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional keyboards are used, then basic dustproof and waterproof protection is achieved, but adequate protection against vibration, shock, and ESD in harsh environmental conditions is not provided
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs multiple material layers including silicone rubber for damping, plastic bushings for insulation, and metal retainer plates for reinforcement. This composite structure provides simultaneous protection against vibration, shock, and ESD while maintaining a manageable complexity through integrated design
Solution Approach 2:
Damping elements are pre-installed within the keyboard structure to absorb impacts and vibrations before they reach the printed circuit board. This beforehand cushioning approach protects sensitive components from harsh environmental conditions without requiring complex active protection systems
2Reliability
If plastic bushings are pressed into the printed circuit board for insulation and elasticity, then ESD protection and vibration damping are improved, but the structural complexity and manufacturing steps increase
Solution Approach 1:
Plastic bushings serve as intermediary elements between the metal retainer plate and the printed circuit board. These bushings provide both electrical insulation to prevent ESD and elastic properties to dampen vibrations, consolidating multiple protection functions into a single manufacturable component that integrates through standard pressing operations
3Stability of the object's composition
If a retainer plate with bent or curved edges is braced by screw connection with circumferential protective mats, then vibration damping and structural stability are improved, but the device complexity and assembly steps increase
Solution Approach 1:
The retainer plate is integrated with circumferential protective mats through screw connections, merging the structural reinforcement function with the vibration damping function into a unified assembly. This integration allows the bent or curved edges of the retainer plate to be braced by the protective mats, providing enhanced stability without requiring separate complex assembly steps
4Reliability
If silicone mats are used for damping and sealing, then protection against vibrations and impacts is improved, but the cost and material selection constraints increase
Solution Approach 1:
Silicone rubber is selected for its specific material parameters including elasticity, damping capacity, and cost-effectiveness. The material's ability to absorb vibrations and impacts while maintaining reasonable pricing makes it an optimal choice for the protective mat layer, balancing performance requirements with manufacturing considerations
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 solution effectively absorbs vibrations and impacts, insulates against ESD, and maintains the required rigidity and stability of the keyboard, making it suitable for harsh environments while being cost-effective and easy to install.
Implementation Method 1
The plastic realizes an insulation of the screw from the printed circuit board and thus assures said insulation
Implementation Method 2
impacts and collisions are absorbed in the interior via damping elements
Implementation Method 3
A certain elasticity of the screw connection is achieved
Implementation Method 4
an intermediate mat, likewise made of silicone, which seals all spaces between the protective mat and the retainer plate
Data Source
AI summary
A data entry and/or operating system, particularly a keyboard, also a POS keyboard, includes a lower part and an upper part as well as at least one circuit board and at least one retainer plate, the retainer plate lying on the lower part. One or more bushings are integrated for the purpose of connecting the circuit board to the retainer plate. The upper part is formed from a rubber mat having keys, and the stability of the keyboard is assured by the circuit board, bushing and metal retainer sheet. The lower part is connected to the upper part in a sealed manner.