CN201946471U - Keyboard - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model discloses a keyboard, which includes a bottom plate and a plurality of key modules, wherein the plurality of key modules are arranged on the bottom plate. Each button module includes a keycap and a lifting support device respectively. The keycap includes a keycap body, a metal layer and a pattern layer. The metal layer is formed on the keycap body, and the pattern layer is formed on the metal layer. The pattern layer has a hollow pattern, and a part of the metal layer is exposed in the hollow pattern. The lifting support device is arranged between the keycap main body and the bottom plate. The utility model utilizes heat transfer printing process to form reflective metal layer on the key cap, not only the reflective effect is better than the conventional mirror ink, but also the process is simple.

Description

keyboard

technical field

The utility model relates to a keyboard, in particular to a keyboard with a reflective metal layer formed on a key cap by using a thermal transfer printing process.

Background technique

As far as current personal computer usage habits are concerned, the keyboard is one of the indispensable input devices for inputting characters, symbols or numbers. Not only that, but all consumer electronic products in daily life or large-scale processing equipment used in the industry need to be equipped with a key structure as an input device to operate the above-mentioned electronic products and processing equipment.

Generally speaking, the keycaps on the keyboard are mostly made of plastic materials through an injection molding process. Then, ink is printed on the keycap to form characters or symbols that can be recognized by users. If you want to make the words or symbols on the keycaps produce a mirror reflection effect, at present, you need to print mirror ink on the keycaps. However, because the reflective effect of mirror ink is not as good as that of metal materials, it is not very practical. If it is desired to use metal materials to manufacture keycaps, the manufacturing process will become more complicated due to the need to form an engaging structure under the keycaps, which is not conducive to mass production.

Utility model content

Therefore, one of the objectives of the present invention is to provide a keyboard, which utilizes a thermal transfer process to form a reflective metal layer on the keycaps, so as to solve the above problems.

According to an embodiment, the keyboard of the present invention includes a base plate and a plurality of key modules, wherein the plurality of key modules are disposed on the base plate. Each button module includes a keycap and a lifting support device respectively. The keycap includes a keycap body, a metal layer and a pattern layer. The metal layer is formed on the keycap body, and the pattern layer is formed on the metal layer. The pattern layer has a hollow pattern, and a part of the metal layer is exposed in the hollow pattern. The lifting support device is arranged between the keycap main body and the bottom plate.

As an optional technical solution, the metal layer is a continuous metal layer.

As an optional technical solution, the metal layer is a metal film.

As an optional technical solution, the keycap also includes a protective layer formed on the pattern layer.

As an optional technical solution, the keycap further includes a glue layer glued between the metal layer and the main body.

As an optional technical solution, the pattern layer completely covers the periphery of the metal layer.

As an optional technical solution, the metal layer is exposed around the pattern layer.

As an optional technical solution, the pattern layer completely covers the metal layer and the periphery of the keycap body.

As an optional technical solution, the keycap main body has a first slide slot and a first draw slot, the bottom plate has a second slide slot and a second draw slot, and the lifting support device includes a first support piece and a second support piece. The first supporting member has a first sliding part and a first pivot part, the first sliding part is slidably arranged in the first slide slot, and the first pivot part is rotatably pivotally connected to the second card slot Middle; the second supporting member is pivotally connected with the first supporting member, the second supporting member has a second sliding part and a second pivoting part, the second sliding part is slidably arranged in the second chute, the The second pivot part is rotatably pivoted in the first slot.

To sum up, the utility model utilizes thermal transfer process to form a reflective metal layer on the keycap, not only the reflective effect is better than the conventional mirror ink, but also the process is simple.

The advantages and spirit of the present utility model can be further understood through the following detailed description of the utility model and the accompanying drawings.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a manufacturing method of a keyboard according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2A , FIG. 2B , FIG. 2C , FIG. 2D and FIG. 2E are schematic diagrams of the manufacturing process of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of a manufacturing method of a keyboard according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4A , FIG. 4B , FIG. 4C and FIG. 4D are schematic diagrams of the manufacturing process in conjunction with FIG. 3 .

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a manufacturing method of a keyboard according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6A , FIG. 6B , FIG. 6C , FIG. 6D and FIG. 6E are schematic diagrams of the manufacturing process in conjunction with FIG. 5 .

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a keyboard according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a button module in FIG. 7 along line X-X.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a button module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a button module according to yet another embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed ways

Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIGS. 2A-2E. FIG. 1 is a flow chart of the manufacturing method of the keyboard according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2A, FIG. 2B, FIG. 2C, FIG. 2D and FIG. schematic diagram. For convenience of description, FIG. 2A is presented as a perspective view, while FIGS. 2B to 2E are presented as cross-sectional views supplemented with top views and only show a single keycap.

First, step S10 is executed to provide the keyboard 1, as shown in FIG. 2A. In this embodiment, the keyboard 1 includes a bottom plate 10 and a plurality of key modules 12 , wherein the key modules 12 are disposed on the bottom plate 10 , and each key module 12 includes a keycap body 14 respectively. Hereinafter, a single keycap main body 14 will be described with reference to FIG. 3 . A cross-sectional view and a top view of the single keycap body 14 are shown in FIG. 2B .

Next, step S12 is executed to perform a thermal transfer process on the keycap body 14 to form the metal layer 16 on the keycap body 14 , as shown in FIG. 2C . In this embodiment, the metal layer 16 is a metal film, that is, the metal layer 16 is a continuous metal layer. The metal layer 16 can be aluminum or other metal materials with good reflective effect. In practical applications, the metal layer 16 can be glued to the keycap main body 14 by using the glue layer 18 , but it is not limited thereto. Generally speaking, in the thermal transfer printing process, the metal layer 16 and the adhesive layer 18 can be combined to form a thermal transfer film, and then the above step S12 is performed with the thermal transfer film.

Next, step S14 is executed to form a pattern layer 20 on the metal layer 16 and make the pattern layer 20 completely cover the surroundings of the metal layer 16 , as shown in FIG. 2D . The pattern layer 20 has a hollow pattern 22 , and a part of the metal layer 16 is exposed in the hollow pattern 22 . In practical applications, ink can be used to perform a screen printing process on the keycap body 14 to form the pattern layer 20 on the metal layer 16 . The hollow pattern 22 is a character or a symbol that can be recognized by the user, depending on the actual application. In this way, the metal layer 16 exposed in the hollow pattern 22 will produce a good reflective effect after being illuminated. In this embodiment, the pattern layer 20 completely covers the periphery of the metal layer 16 . In other words, only the metal layer 16 exposed in the hollow pattern 22 can produce the reflective effect.

Next, step S16 is executed to form a protection layer 24 on the pattern layer 20 , as shown in FIG. 2E . The protection layer 24 can prevent the pattern layer 20 from being worn out under long-term use.

In practical application, the above step S12 to step S16 can be performed for each key body 14 of the keyboard 1 in FIG. 2A at a time. Thereby, the manufacture of the keyboard of the present utility model can be completed.

Please refer to FIG. 3 and FIGS. 4A-4D . FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a manufacturing method of a keyboard according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 4A , 4B, 4C and 4D are schematic diagrams of the manufacturing process in conjunction with FIG. 3 . The main difference between the second embodiment (as shown in FIG. 3 ) and the above-mentioned first embodiment (as shown in FIG. 1 ) is that step S24 of the second embodiment is to form a pattern layer 20 ′ on the metal layer 16 , and make The metal layer 16 is exposed around the pattern layer 20', as shown in FIG. 4C. In other words, both the metal layer 16 exposed in the hollow pattern 22 and the surrounding of the pattern layer 20 ′ can produce a good reflective effect. It should be noted that steps S20, S22, and S26 in FIG. 3 are substantially the same as S10, S12, and S16 in FIG. This will not be repeated here.

Please refer to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6A-6E. FIG. 5 is a flow chart of the manufacturing method of the keyboard according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6A, FIG. 6B, FIG. 6C, FIG. 6D and FIG. schematic diagram. The main difference between the third embodiment (as shown in FIG. 5 ) and the above-mentioned first embodiment (as shown in FIG. 1 ) is that step S34 of the third embodiment is to carry out a painting process on the keycap main body 14, so that the metal layer 16 and form a patterned layer 20 ", as shown in Figure 6C. In this embodiment, the patterned layer 20 "completely covers the surroundings of the metal layer 16 and the keycap main body 14, that is, the metal layer 16 is exposed around the patterned layer 20 " Then, step S36 is executed to carry out a laser engraving process on the pattern layer 20 "to form a hollow pattern 22 on the pattern layer 20 ". In this way, after the metal layer 16 exposed in the hollow pattern 22 is illuminated, it will be Produce good reflective effect.It should be noted that steps S30, S32, S38 among Fig. 5 are roughly the same as S10, S12, S16 among Fig. 1, and among Fig. 6A-6E and Fig. 2A-2E show the same label The elements have the same principle of action and will not be repeated here.

Please refer to FIG. 7 , which is a schematic diagram of the keyboard 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 7 , the keyboard 3 includes a bottom plate 30 and a plurality of key modules 32 . The button module 32 is disposed on the bottom plate 30 for the user to press to execute the function that the user wants to input.

Please refer to FIG. 8 . FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a button module 32 in FIG. 7 along line X-X. As shown in FIG. 8 , the button module 32 includes a keycap 34 , a lifting support device 36 , a circuit board 38 and an elastic member 40 . The keycap 34 includes a keycap body 340 , a metal layer 342 , a pattern layer 344 , an adhesive layer 346 and a protection layer 348 . Both the lifting support device 36 and the elastic member 40 are disposed between the keycap body 340 and the bottom plate 30 , and the circuit board 38 is disposed on the bottom plate 30 . In practical applications, the circuit board 38 has a switch 380 corresponding to the button module 32 , such as a membrane switch or other trigger switches. The elastic member 40 can be a rubber dome, but not limited thereto. The elastic member 40 serves as a source of elastic force required when the keycap 34 moves up and down relative to the bottom plate 30 . When the keycap 34 is pressed, the elastic member 40 will trigger the switch 380 on the circuit board 38 to execute the function desired by the user.

As shown in FIG. 8 , the keycap body 340 has a first chute 3400 and a first slot 3402 , the bottom plate 30 has a second chute 300 and a second slot 302 , and the lifting support device 36 includes a first support 360 and a second support 360 . Two supports 362 . The first support member 360 has a first sliding portion 3600 and a first pivot portion 3602 . The second support member 362 has a second sliding portion 3620 and a second pivot portion 3622 . The first supporting member 360 is pivotally connected to the second supporting member 362 . The first sliding part 3600 is slidably disposed in the corresponding first sliding slot 3400 , and the first pivoting part 3602 is rotatably pivoted in the corresponding second locking slot 302 . The second sliding part 3620 is slidably disposed in the corresponding second sliding slot 300 , and the second pivoting part 3622 is rotatably pivoted in the corresponding first engaging slot 3402 . Thereby, when the keycap 34 is pressed, the keycap 34 will move vertically toward the bottom plate 30 along with the lifting support device 36 .

The metal layer 342 is formed on the keycap body 340 , and the pattern layer 344 is formed on the metal layer 342 . The pattern layer 344 has a hollow pattern 350 , and a part of the metal layer 342 is exposed in the hollow pattern 350 . In practical applications, the metal layer 342 can be glued on the keycap main body 340 by using the glue layer 346 , but it is not limited thereto. The hollowed-out pattern 350 is a character or a symbol that can be recognized by the user, depending on the actual application. In this way, the metal layer 342 exposed in the hollow pattern 350 will produce a good reflective effect after being illuminated. In this embodiment, the pattern layer 344 completely covers the periphery of the metal layer 342 . In other words, only the metal layer 342 exposed in the hollow pattern 350 can produce the reflective effect. The protection layer 348 is formed on the pattern layer 344 to prevent the pattern layer 344 from being worn out after long-term use.

It should be noted that the keyboard 3 can be manufactured using the manufacturing method shown in FIG. 1 . In other words, the metal layer 342 , the pattern layer 344 and the protection layer 348 can be formed on the keycap body 340 by using steps S12 , S14 and S16 in FIG. 1 . The relevant manufacturing principles are as described above and will not be repeated here.

Please refer to FIG. 9 . FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a button module 32 ′ according to another embodiment of the present invention. The main difference between the button module 32 ′ and the aforementioned button module 32 is that the metal layer 342 of the keycap 34 ′ of the button module 32 ′ is exposed around the pattern layer 344 ′, as shown in FIG. 9 . In other words, the metal layer 342 exposed in the hollow pattern 350 and exposed around the pattern layer 344 ′ can produce a good reflective effect. It should be noted that the metal layer 342 , the pattern layer 344 ′ and the protective layer 348 can be formed on the keycap body 340 by using the steps S22 , S24 and S26 in FIG. 3 . The relevant manufacturing principles are as described above and will not be repeated here. In addition, the elements with the same numbers in FIG. 9 and those shown in FIG. 8 have the same working principles, and will not be repeated here.

Please refer to Fig. 10, Fig. 10 is a sectional view of a button module 32 "according to yet another embodiment of the present utility model. The main difference between the button module 32" and the above-mentioned button module 32 is that the keycap of the button module 32" 34 "pattern layer 344" completely covers the metal layer 342 and the periphery of the keycap main body 340, as shown in Figure 10. It should be noted that steps S32, S34, S36 and S38 in Figure 5 can be used on the keycap main body Metal layer 342 , pattern layer 344 ″ and protection layer 348 are formed on 340 . The relevant manufacturing principles are as described above and will not be repeated here. In addition, the elements with the same numbers in FIG. 10 and those shown in FIG. 8 have the same working principles, and will not be repeated here.

To sum up, the utility model utilizes thermal transfer process to form a reflective metal layer on the keycap, not only the reflective effect is better than the conventional mirror ink, but also the process is simple. In addition, the utility model can selectively make the pattern layer completely cover the surroundings of the metal layer, make the metal layer exposed around the pattern layer, or make the pattern layer completely cover the metal layer and the periphery of the keycap body, so as to change the keys according to actual applications. appearance of the cap.

The above descriptions are only preferred embodiments of the present utility model, and all equivalent changes and modifications made according to the claims of the present utility model shall fall within the scope of the present utility model.

Claims (9)

1. keyboard is characterized in that this keyboard comprises:

Base plate; And

A plurality of button modules are arranged on this base plate, and each this button module comprises:

Keycap comprises keycap main body, metal level and patterned layer, and this metal level is formed on this keycap main body, and this patterned layer is formed on this metal level, and this patterned layer has pierced pattern, and the part of this metal level is revealed in this pierced pattern; And

Liftable supporter is arranged between this keycap main body and this base plate.

2. keyboard as claimed in claim 1 is characterized in that this metal level is a continuous metal layer.

3. keyboard as claimed in claim 1 is characterized in that this metal level is a metallic film.

4. keyboard as claimed in claim 1 is characterized in that this keycap also comprises protective layer, is formed on this patterned layer.

5. keyboard as claimed in claim 1 is characterized in that this keycap also comprises cementing layer, is glued between this metal level and this main body.

6. keyboard as claimed in claim 1, it is characterized in that this patterned layer cover fully this metal level around.

7. keyboard as claimed in claim 1, it is characterized in that this metal level be revealed in this patterned layer around.

8. keyboard as claimed in claim 1, it is characterized in that this patterned layer coat fully this metal level and this keycap main body around.

9. keyboard as claimed in claim 1 is characterized in that this keycap main body has first chute and first draw-in groove, and this base plate has second chute and second draw-in groove, and this liftable supporter comprises:

First strutting piece has first sliding part and first articulated section, and this first sliding part is mounted slidably in this first chute, and this first articulated section is articulated in this second draw-in groove rotationally; And

Second strutting piece articulates with this first strutting piece, and this second strutting piece has second sliding part and second articulated section, and this second sliding part is mounted slidably in this second chute, and this second articulated section is articulated in this first draw-in groove rotationally.

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