TWI578352B - Keyboard - Google Patents

Description

keyboard

The invention relates to a keyboard, in particular to a keyboard with an indicator light.

In the use of an indicator light, such as an LED, as a keyboard structure for indicating light, in general, the LEDs are directly integrated onto a thin film circuit board, such as a line soldered to a thin film circuit board. Since the LED has a considerable thickness relative to the thin film circuit board, the LED significantly protrudes from the thin film circuit board. When the keyboard is subjected to an electrostatic discharge test, the LED is liable to cause electrostatic discharge due to a part of the exposed metal, such as a soldering foot, causing the electrostatic discharge protection of the keyboard to fail. For this problem, there are currently technical means for directly covering the LED with additional components to prevent electrostatic discharge, for example, a transparent plastic sheet is directly attached to the LED to prevent electrostatic discharge of the LED. However, without modifying the original structure of the keyboard, the introduction of additional components may cause the keyboard to be assembled unsmoothly (for example, this additional component usually protrudes relative to the component to which it is attached, affecting the assembly of other components), and even interferes with other components. , interfere with the actuation of other components; in addition, the introduction of additional components will also increase the complexity of keyboard assembly.

In view of the problems in the prior art, the present invention provides a keyboard that utilizes a trigger structure layer to provide electrostatic discharge protection for the illuminating member and still allows light from the illuminating member to penetrate to maintain the illumination function of the illuminating member.

The keyboard according to the present invention comprises a thin film circuit board, a light emitting member, a trigger structure layer and a plurality of key caps. The thin film circuit board includes a plurality of switches. The illuminating member is electrically connected to the thin film circuit board. The trigger structure is stacked on the thin film circuit board and the light emitting device. The trigger structure layer comprises a transparent insulating portion and a plurality of elastic triggering members. The transparent insulating portion is located on the light emitting member, and the plurality of elastic layers are The trigger member is correspondingly located above the plurality of switches. The plurality of key caps are correspondingly disposed on the plurality of elastic triggering members, and one of the plurality of keycaps has a light transmitting portion corresponding to the light transmitting insulating portion. Thereby, the light-transmitting insulating portion retains the function of illuminating the light-transmitting portion with the light-transmitting portion and at the same time achieves the effect of electrostatic discharge protection of the light-emitting member. In addition, with respect to the prior art, the light-transmissive insulating portion according to the present invention is integrated into one part of the trigger structure layer, or a portion of the trigger structure layer is used as the light-transmitting insulating portion, so the light-transmissive insulating portion is not Affecting the actuation or relative setting of other components does not increase the difficulty of keyboard assembly; at the same time, in principle, the process complexity of the trigger structure layer is not affected.

The advantages and spirit of the present invention will be further understood from the following detailed description of the invention.

Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a keyboard 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a partial exploded view of the keyboard 1. The keyboard 1 includes an upper cover 10, a bottom case 12, a bottom plate 14, a film circuit board 16, a light-emitting member 18, a trigger structure layer 20, a plurality of lifting mechanisms 22, and a plurality of key caps 24. The upper cover 10 is engaged with the bottom case 12 to accommodate other members. The bottom plate 14 is disposed on the bottom case 12, and the thin film circuit board 16 is disposed on the bottom plate 14. The light emitting member 18 is, for example but not limited to, an LED element electrically connected to the thin film circuit board 16, and the trigger structure layer 20 is stacked on the film. Above the circuit board 16 and the illuminating member, the plurality of key caps 24 are disposed on the trigger structure layer 20, and the plurality of lifting mechanisms 22 are correspondingly connected between the plurality of key caps 24 and the bottom plate 14. The thin film circuit board 16 includes a plurality of switches 162 (shown in hatching circles in FIG. 2). The trigger structure layer 20 includes a plurality of elastic triggering members 202, a connecting structure 204 connecting the plurality of elastic triggering members 202, and a light transmitting insulating portion 206 formed on the connecting structure 204 (the position is indicated by a dotted circle in FIG. 2 The plurality of elastic triggers 202 are correspondingly located on the plurality of switches 162, and the transparent insulating portion 206 is located above the light emitting member 18. The plurality of keycaps 24 are correspondingly located above the plurality of elastic triggering members 202 such that the keycaps 24 can be moved up and down relative to the bottom plate 14 (or the corresponding switch 162) via the corresponding lifting mechanism 22 to pass the corresponding elastic triggering members. 202 triggers the corresponding switch 162. One of the plurality of keycaps 24 has a light transmitting portion 242 corresponding to the transparent insulating portion 206, so that the light emitting member 18 is covered by the light transmitting insulating portion 206, but the emitted light can still pass through the transparent insulating material. The portion 206 is irradiated to the light transmitting portion 242 to realize a light indicating effect.

Please refer to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the trigger structure layer 20 with respect to the view of FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the keyboard 1 along the line X-X of FIG. In this embodiment, the connecting structure 204 is a transparent insulating sheet, and the elastic triggering member 202 is disposed on the transparent insulating sheet. The transparent insulating sheet forms a hollow 2042 at the corresponding switch 162 for the corresponding elastic trigger 202 to pass through to trigger the corresponding switch 162. In an implementation, the connecting structure 204 can be a plastic sheet of PET or other materials. The elastic triggering member 202 can be a silicone round protrusion, and the corresponding hollow 2042 is adhered to the connecting structure 204, but the invention is not limited thereto. For example, the connecting structure 204 and the elastic triggering member 202 are integrally formed by silicone. In addition, the trigger structure layer 20 includes a mask layer 208 disposed on the transparent insulating sheet, which can be used to shield the internal structure of the keyboard 1 and enhance the appearance. In this embodiment, the mask layer 208 is formed on the lower surface of the transparent insulating sheet, for example, but not limited to, by printing. In FIG. 3, the distribution area of the mask layer 208 on the connection structure 204 is represented by influence; in practice, the mask layer 208 may be formed on the upper surface of the transparent insulation sheet. The mask layer 208 has a hollow 2082, so that the transparent insulating sheet corresponds to the portion of the hollow 2082 to form the aforementioned transparent insulating portion 206. As shown in FIG. 4, the cutout 2082 is opposite to the illuminating member 206 such that the transparent insulating portion 206 covers the illuminating member 18. The light emitted by the illuminating member 18 (shown by thick arrows in the figure) can be worn through the hollow 2082. The light transmissive insulating portion 206 is moved toward the light transmitting portion 242 so that the light transmitting portion 242 can generate a light indicating effect, and the user can observe the light indication from above the keyboard 1 (ie, above the key cap 24a in FIG. 4). effect.

It should be noted that, in general, regardless of whether the transparent insulating portion 206 is present (for example, for the other key caps 24, the transparent portion 242 is not required), the mask layer 208 is used to shield the internal structure of the keyboard 1 and increase the appearance. . Therefore, the keyboard 1 according to the present invention, in the process of forming the mask layer 208 (for example, the printed mask layer 208), forms the hollow 2082 together, and does not increase the process burden of the mask layer 208, but can be combined. A light transmitting insulating portion 206 is formed. In other words, with respect to the conventional keyboard, the insulating light-emitting member 18 can be realized without using an additional member in the keyboard 1 according to the present invention to avoid the electrostatic discharge effect of the light-emitting member 18.

Referring to FIG. 5, a partial cross-sectional view of a keyboard 3 according to another embodiment of the present invention; wherein the cross-sectional position thereof is equivalent to the cross-sectional view of the keyboard 1 shown in FIG. The structure of the keyboard 3 and the keyboard 1 are substantially the same, and the keyboard 3 follows the same component symbol as that of the keyboard 1. For other descriptions of the keyboard 3, please refer to the description and drawings of the same named components in the keyboard 1, and no further details are provided. In the embodiment, the trigger structure layer 30 of the keyboard 3 further includes a hood 210 disposed on the light-transmissive insulating portion 206 with respect to the trigger structure layer 20 of the keyboard 1 . The hood 210 has an opaque surrounding wall 2102 and an opening 2104. One end of the opaque surrounding wall 2102 is disposed on the connecting structure 204 and surrounds the transparent insulating portion 206. The opening 2104 is not transparent with respect to the transparent insulating portion 206. One end of the light enclosure 2102 is attached to the light transmitting portion 242 of the keycap 24a. Therefore, the hood 210 has the effect of restricting the traveling direction of the light, so that the light emitted by the illuminating member 18 (shown by thick arrows in the figure) can be mostly irradiated to the light transmitting portion 242 after being emitted through the opening 2104, and the light is suppressed from the key. The periphery of the cap 24a escapes.

Referring to FIG. 6, a partial cross-sectional view of a keyboard 5 according to another embodiment of the present invention; wherein the cross-sectional position thereof is equivalent to the cross-sectional view of the keyboard 1 shown in FIG. The keyboard 5 and the keyboard 1 have substantially the same structure. The keyboard 5 follows the same component symbol as the keyboard 1. For other functions of the keyboard 5, please refer to the related description and drawing of the same named component in the keyboard 1, and no further details are provided. In this embodiment, the trigger structure layer 50 of the keyboard 5 further includes a hood 212 relative to the trigger structure layer 20 of the keyboard 1. The hood 212 is located above the illuminating member and has an opaque surrounding wall 2122 and a transparent cover. The top wall 2124, the opaque surrounding wall 2122 surrounds the illuminating member 18, and the transparent top wall 2124 forms a transparent insulating portion (ie, the transparent insulating portion 206 corresponding to the triggering structure layer 20) and is located relative to the illuminating member 18. One end of the opaque enclosure 2122. On the other hand, the hood 212 has an inverted structure as a whole, and its open end faces the illuminating member 18, and the bottom portion (i.e., the transparent top wall 2124) serves as the light transmitting insulating portion. In addition, in the present embodiment, the hood 212 is substantially integrally formed with the connecting structure 204 and the mask layer 208. For example, but not limited to, the connecting structure 204 on which the mask layer 208 is printed is formed into a hood 212 by stamping. The opaque enclosure 2122 includes a portion of a transparent insulating sheet for forming the connection structure 204 and a portion of the mask layer 208 formed thereon. Therefore, the hood 212 also has the effect of limiting the direction in which the light travels, so that the light emitted by the illuminating member 18 (shown by thick arrows in the figure) can be mostly irradiated to the light transmitting portion 242 after being emitted through the transparent top wall 2124. The light is inhibited from escaping from the periphery of the keycap 24a. It should be noted that, in this embodiment, although there is no light-transmitting insulating member between the hood 212 and the illuminating member 18 to cover the illuminating member 18, the hood 212 as a whole still covers the illuminating member 18, and the transparent top wall 2124 The illuminating member 18 is also provided with an electrostatic discharge protection effect. The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and all changes and modifications made to the scope of the present invention should be within the scope of the present invention.

1, 3, 5 Keyboard 10 Top cover 12 Bottom case 14 Base plate 16 Thin film circuit board 162 Switch 18 Light-emitting parts 20, 30, 50 Trigger structure layer 202 Elastic trigger

204‧‧‧Connection structure

206‧‧‧Lighting insulation

208‧‧‧mask layer

210, 212‧‧‧ hood

2042‧‧‧镂空

2082‧‧‧镂空

2102‧‧‧ opaque enclosure

2104‧‧‧ openings

2122‧‧‧ opaque enclosure

2124‧‧‧Lighting top wall

22‧‧‧ Lifting mechanism

24, 24a‧‧‧ key cap

242‧‧‧Transmission Department

Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of a keyboard in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a partial exploded view of the keyboard in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the trigger structure layer of the keyboard in Figure 2. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the keyboard along line X-X in Figure 1. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a keyboard in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a keyboard in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

<TABLE border="1" borderColor="#000000" width="_0015"><TBODY><tr><td> 1 </td><td> Keyboard</td><td> </td><td > </td></tr><tr><td> 12 </td><td> bottom case</td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr> <td> 14 </td><td> Backplane</td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> 16 </td><td> Thin Film Circuit Board</td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> 18 </td><td> illuminating element </td><td> </td> <td> </td></tr><tr><td> 20 </td><td> Trigger Structure Layer</td><td> 202 </td><td> Elastic Trigger </td> </tr><tr><td> 204 </td><td> Connection Structure</td><td> 206 </td><td> Light Transmissive Insulation</td></tr><tr> <td> 208 </td><td> Mask Layer </td><td> 2082 </td><td> 镂 </td></tr><tr><td> 22 </td>< Td> Lifting Mechanism</td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> 24a </td><td> Key Cap </td><td> 242 </td><td> Translucent section</td></tr></TBODY></TABLE>

Claims (3)

A keyboard comprising: a thin film circuit board comprising a plurality of switches; a light emitting member electrically connected to the thin film circuit board; a trigger structure layer stacked on the thin film circuit board and the light emitting member, the trigger structure The layer includes a transparent insulating portion and a plurality of elastic triggering members, the transparent insulating portion is located on the light emitting member, and the plurality of elastic triggering members are correspondingly located on the plurality of switches, wherein the triggering structural layer comprises a transparent layer An insulating sheet and a mask layer disposed on the transparent insulating sheet, wherein the plurality of elastic triggering members are disposed on the transparent insulating sheet, the mask layer has a hollow, and the transparent insulating sheet forms the light-transmitting insulation corresponding to the hollowed portion The transparent insulating sheet has a plurality of cutouts corresponding to the plurality of switches, corresponding to the plurality of switches; and a plurality of key caps correspondingly disposed on the plurality of elastic triggering members, one of the plurality of keycaps It has a light transmitting portion corresponding to the light transmitting insulating portion. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein the trigger structure layer comprises a hood disposed on the transparent insulating portion, the hood having an opaque surrounding wall and an opening surrounding the opaque surrounding wall a transparent insulating portion, the opening being located at one end of the opaque surrounding wall with respect to the transparent insulating portion. The keyboard of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of lifting mechanisms, correspondingly connected to the plurality of keycaps, wherein the keycap is movable up and down relative to the corresponding switch via the corresponding lifting mechanism to pass the corresponding The elastic trigger triggers the corresponding switch.