Scissor Key Structure for Thin Keyboards With Tactile Sound Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mechanical keyboards are unable to meet design requirements for thinness and compactness due to their thicker operational stroke and potential deformation over time, which affects the key's sound generation and lifting stroke.
Innovation Solution
A key structure incorporating a scissor mechanism with a retractable assembly, including a base plate, keycap, first sleeve, second sleeve, and trigger member, which compresses to generate sound when pressed, allowing for a thin and compact design while enhancing user experience through audio feedback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a mechanical shaft with elastic piece is used, then the key can generate sound and provide operational feedback, but the overall thickness of the keyboard becomes greater
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical shaft is divided into multiple segments (first shaft segment, second shaft segment, scissor structure) that can move relative to each other. This segmentation allows the key mechanism to achieve the required operational stroke and sound generation while reducing the overall thickness of the keyboard by distributing the movement across multiple smaller components rather than requiring a single long mechanical shaft.
Solution Approach 2:
The scissor structure introduces a dimensional change by using a parallelogram linkage mechanism that converts vertical pressing motion into a combination of vertical and horizontal movements. This allows the key to achieve sufficient operational stroke for sound generation while maintaining a compact vertical profile, effectively solving the thickness problem by utilizing spatial efficiency in multiple dimensions.
2Ease of operation
If a mechanical shaft with elastic piece is used, then the key can provide operational feedback, but the elastic piece may be deformed or deviated after repetitive squeezing
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic piece is extracted from the traditional mechanical shaft structure and repositioned to surround only the second shaft segment. This extraction allows the elastic restoring force to be applied more efficiently and directly to the keycap through the scissor structure, reducing lateral forces and deviations on the elastic piece itself. The elastic piece remains protected within the shaft structure while still providing reliable operational feedback.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having the elastic piece directly push the keycap through a long mechanical shaft, the design inverts the force transmission path by using the scissor structure to convert the elastic force into a more stable force transmission mechanism. The elastic piece pushes the second shaft segment, which then drives the scissor structure to move the keycap, creating a more reliable force path that reduces elastic piece deformation.
3Length of stationary object
If the key structure is made thinner to meet design requirements, then the keyboard becomes more compact, but the operational stroke is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The scissor structure provides dynamic movement capability within a compact space. By using a parallelogram linkage mechanism, the key can achieve a larger operational stroke through coordinated movement of multiple shaft segments and the scissor arms, even though the overall keyboard thickness is reduced. The dynamic geometry of the scissor structure allows efficient use of space while maintaining adequate key travel distance.
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 scissor mechanism enables a thin and compact keyboard design while providing improved user experience with audio sensation and a two-step operational feeling, outperforming traditional mechanical shaft-based keyboards.
Implementation Method 1
When the user presses the key, the elastic piece is squeezed to create an elastic deformation and generate a sound
Implementation Method 2
the retractable assembly is compressed and knocks to make a sound
Data Source
AI summary
A key structure including a base plate, a keycap disposed above the base plate, a scissor structure disposed between the base plate and the keycap, a first sleeve connected to the keycap, a second sleeve rotatably inserted into the first sleeve and a trigger member is provided. The first sleeve is located between the base plate and the keycap and has a guiding chute. The first sleeve is slidably sleeved on the second sleeve. The second sleeve has a guiding protrusion slidably disposed in the guiding chute and a notch opposite to the guiding protrusion, and the notch faces the base plate. The second sleeve is slidably sleeved on the trigger member. The trigger member has a trigger protrusion contacting the base plate, and the trigger protrusion is located between the base plate and the second sleeve.