Touchsurface Assembly Key Guides Sheet Metal Ramps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pressable touchsurfaces in input devices, such as keyboards, often lack improved usability, leading to suboptimal tactile feedback and increased device thickness due to the limitations of metal snap domes or rubber domes, which restrict vertical-lateral travel and create a less-than-ideal tactile experience.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a touchsurface assembly featuring a sheet metal component with ramps and a keycap having ramp contacting features, allowing for orthogonal motion during key press, enhancing tactile feedback by increasing key travel and simulating greater vertical displacement through lateral motion, thereby improving usability and reducing device thickness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If metal snap domes or rubber domes are used in conventional pressable touchsurfaces, then the device structure is simple, but the key travel is restricted and tactile feedback is suboptimal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces lateral motion (orthogonal to the press direction) as a second dimension of key travel. The ramp contacting features guide the keycap to move both vertically (press direction) and laterally, creating a diagonal path. This dimensional expansion provides enhanced tactile feedback without requiring increased vertical travel distance, resolving the contradiction between tactile quality and structural simplicity.
2Ease of operation
If ramps are added to the sheet metal component to enable orthogonal motion, then tactile feedback is enhanced, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the ramp structure directly into the sheet metal component, combining multiple functions into a single integrated part. The sheet metal component simultaneously serves as the structural base and incorporates the ramps that guide lateral motion. This integration reduces the number of separate parts and assembly steps, mitigating the manufacturing complexity increase that would result from adding ramp features.
3Ease of operation
If key travel is increased to improve tactile feedback, then user experience is enhanced, but device thickness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves the thickness contradiction by redirecting key travel into the lateral dimension. Instead of increasing vertical travel distance (which would increase device thickness), the ramp structure converts vertical press force into diagonal motion with both vertical and lateral components. This allows enhanced key travel sensation while maintaining a compact vertical profile and device thickness.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus for a touchsurface assembly such as a key assembly are described. The touchsurface assembly includes a sheet metal component having ramps formed therein and a keycap having ramp contacting features and a touchsurface for receiving a press force that moves the keycap toward a pressed position. The ramp contacting features contact at least one of the ramps in the sheet metal component while the keycap moves toward the pressed position, the ramps guiding the keycap to move in a second direction orthogonal to the press direction as the keycap moves from the unpressed position toward the pressed position.