TWI900101B - Button assembly and electronic product including the button assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

A button assembly and an electronic product including the button assembly are provided. The button assembly includes a carrier and a button. The carrier includes a first surface, a second surface opposite to the first surface, at least one through hole passing through the first surface and the second surface, and an engaging portion located on the second surface. The button is rotatably arranged on the carrier and has a fixed position and a detachable position relative to the carrier. The button includes a button body and at least one elastic hook connected to the button body. The elastic hook includes a hook portion, and the button is inserted into the through hole of the carrier via the elastic hook. When the button is rotated along a first direction, the hook portion of the elastic hook engages with the engaging portion, so that the button can be fixed on the carrier. When the button is rotated along a second direction, the hook portion is deformed by the engaging portion, so that the button can be detachable from the carrier.

Description

Key assembly and electronic product including the same

The present invention relates to a key assembly and its application, particularly to an easily disassembled key assembly and its application in electronic products.

Currently, buttons on electronic products are typically secured with adhesive backing. However, when an electronic product requires repair, the buttons must be removed before the entire device can be repaired. High adhesive strength often results in cosmetic damage during removal.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a key assembly that can be applied to electronic components and can achieve the purpose of being disassembled and easily assembled to facilitate maintenance of the entire device through a detachable structural design.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention provides a key assembly. The key assembly includes a carrier and a key. The carrier includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other, at least one through-hole connecting the first surface and the second surface, and a locking portion located on the second surface. The key is rotatably arranged on the carrier and has a fixed position and a detachable position relative to the carrier. The key includes a key body and at least one elastic hook connected to the key body. The elastic hook includes a hook portion, and the key is inserted into the through-hole of the carrier through the elastic hook. When the key is rotated along the first direction, the hook portion of the elastic hook is engaged with the locking portion, and the key is located in a fixed position, and the key is fixed to the carrier. When the button is rotated in a second direction opposite to the first direction, the hook portion is deformed by the engaging portion, and the button is located in a detachable position, and the button can be detached from the carrier.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the engaging portion includes a first arc portion and a second arc portion connected to the first arc portion. The height of the first arc portion is higher than that of the second arc portion. The second arc portion forms a limiting groove relative to the first arc portion.

In one embodiment of the present invention, when the button is in the fixed position, the hook portion is above the second arc portion and limited by the limiting groove; when the button is in the detachable position, the hook portion presses against the first arc portion, and the hook portion is inside the first arc portion.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the inner surface of the first curved portion includes a first inner curved surface and a second inner curved surface connected to the first inner curved surface. The side surface of the hook portion includes a first curved surface and a second curved surface connected to the first curved surface. When the key is in the fixed position, the second inner curved surface is adjacent to the first curved surface; when the key is in the removable position, the second curved surface of the hook portion abuts the first inner curved surface of the first curved portion.

In one embodiment of the present invention, when the button is rotated from the fixed position to the detachable position, the first arc surface of the hook portion and the second inner arc surface act to disengage from the limiting groove.

In one embodiment of the present invention, when the key is rotated from the fixed position to the detachable position, the hook portion moves radially toward the center line of the key body.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the engaging portion includes an arc portion located on the second surface. When the button is located at the fixed position, the arc portion limits the hook portion, thereby restricting the movement of the hook portion.

To achieve the above objectives, the present invention further provides an electronic product. The electronic product includes a housing and the aforementioned key assembly. The housing has an interior space. The key assembly is disposed in the interior space and is capable of sliding relative to the housing.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the supporting member can slide relative to the housing, wherein the sliding direction of the supporting member is different from the first direction and the second direction.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the electronic product is a hair dryer.

As described above, the key assembly provided by the present invention primarily utilizes the key's elastic hook in conjunction with the engaging portion of the carrier. This allows assemblers or maintenance personnel to easily remove the key from the carrier by rotating the key, deforming the elastic hook. Similarly, assemblers or maintenance personnel can directly insert the key's elastic hook into the through-hole of the carrier and rotate the key. The engaging portion causes the elastic hook to deform and retain the elastic hook in place. As can be seen, the key assembly of the present invention is simple to assemble and disassemble, making it easy to maintain when used in electronic products.

To make the above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more readily apparent, the following describes preferred embodiments of the present invention in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, directional terms used herein, such as up, down, top, bottom, front, back, left, right, inside, outside, side, periphery, center, horizontal, transverse, vertical, longitudinal, axial, radial, topmost, or bottommost, are intended solely for reference purposes with respect to the accompanying drawings. Therefore, these directional terms are intended to facilitate explanation and understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

Please refer to Figures 1 to 4 simultaneously, wherein Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic product according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the exploded state of a key assembly according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and Figures 3 and 4 are schematic diagrams of the structure of a key of the key assembly according to the first embodiment of the present invention in a fixed and detachable position, respectively. The present invention mainly provides a key assembly 1, which can be mainly applied to an electronic product 2 to serve as a switching key of the electronic product 2, such as a toggle switch. The electronic product 2 mainly includes a housing 21 and an electronic component 22 disposed in the housing 21. The key assembly 1 is assembled on the housing 21 and connected to the electronic component 22. The electronic assembly 22 may include, but is not limited to, the functional components required by the electronic product 2, such as a circuit board, a switch, and a transformer. Specifically, in one embodiment, the electronic product 2 may be a hair dryer. The electronic assembly 22 includes a circuit board 221 and a sliding switch 222 mounted on the circuit board 221. The key assembly 1 is connected to the sliding switch 222, so that the user can operate the key assembly 1 to turn the sliding switch 222 on and thereby control the electronic product 2.

The key assembly 1 of this embodiment includes a carrier 11 and a key 12, and the key 12 can be rotatably and detachably arranged on the carrier 11. Specifically, the key 12 can be rotatably arranged on the carrier 11 and has a fixed position and a detachable position relative to the carrier 11. When the key 12 is rotated along a first direction D1 (as shown in FIG. 4 ), the key 12 can be engaged on the carrier 11 (as shown in FIG. 3 ); and when the key 12 is rotated along a second direction D2 opposite to the first direction D1 (as shown in FIG. 3 ), the key 12 can be detached from the carrier 11 (as shown in FIG. 4 ). It should be noted that when the key assembly 1 is applied to an electronic product 2, the carrier 11 can be connected to the sliding switch 222 of the electronic component 22. When the button 12 is fixed to the carrier 11, the user can toggle the slide switch by rotating the button body 120 of the button 12, which drives the carrier 11 to move linearly (e.g., up and down or left and right). In other words, the operating direction of the button 12 in the electronic product 2 is different from the direction in which the button 12 is removed. This means that the sliding direction of the carrier 11 is different from the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. This prevents the user from accidentally removing the button 12 while using the electronic product 2.

Continuing with Figures 1 to 4, the carrier 11 is disposed within the interior of the housing 21 and is capable of sliding relative to the housing 21. In this embodiment, the carrier 11 has a first surface 111, a second surface 112, at least one engaging portion 113, and at least one through-hole 114. The first surface 111 is opposite the second surface 112, and the through-hole 114 connects the first and second surfaces 111 and 112. The engaging portion 113 is disposed on the second surface 112 and is located adjacent to the through-hole 114. The key 12 includes a key body 120 and at least one elastic hook 121 connected to the key body 120. The key body 120 protrudes from the housing 21 through the opening 211 of the housing 21, and the key 12 is inserted into the through-hole 114 of the carrier 11 via the elastic hook 121. One end of the elastic hook 121 has a hook portion 121a. As shown in Figure 3, when the key 12 is in the fixed position, it is fixed to the carrier 11. The elastic hook 121 of the key 12 passes through the through-hole 114 from the first surface 111 to the second surface 112 of the carrier 11, and the hook portion 121a of the elastic hook 121 is fixed to the engaging portion 113 of the carrier 11. In this embodiment, the engaging portion 113 and the through-hole 114 of the carrier 11 are designed as a pair, and the elastic hook 121 of the key 12 is also designed as a pair. The following description will focus on only one engaging portion 113 and its corresponding elastic hook 121, but the structure and function thereof are applicable to the other engaging portion and elastic hook. In other embodiments, the number of engaging portions 113 and elastic hooks 121 can be adjusted as needed, for example, to one, three, or more.

In one embodiment, the engaging portion 113 is a structure protruding from the second surface 112. Specifically, the engaging portion 113 includes a first curved portion 113a and a second curved portion 113b, wherein the second curved portion 113b is connected to the first curved portion 113a. As shown in Figure 3, the first curved portion 113a is higher than the second curved portion 113b. The height difference between the first and second curved portions 113a, 113b forms a retaining groove 113b1 in the second curved portion 113b relative to the first curved portion 113a, resulting in the engaging portion 113 having a stepped shape. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3 , when the button 12 is in the fixed position, the hook portion 121 a is located above the second curved portion 113 b and is limited by the limiting groove 113 b 1 ; and as shown in FIG. 4 , when the button 12 is in the detachable position, the hook portion 121 a is located on the inner side of the first curved portion 113 a and presses against the first curved portion 113 a.

In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2 , the inner surface of the first curved portion 113a includes a first inner curved surface 113a1 and a second inner curved surface 113a2, and the side surface of the hook portion 121a includes a first curved surface 121b and a second curved surface 121c. When the button 12 is in the fixed position shown in Figure 3 , the first curved surface 121b of the hook portion 121a is adjacent to the second inner curved surface 113a2 of the first curved portion 113a. When the button 12 is rotated in the second direction D2 (e.g., counterclockwise), the first curved surface 121b of the hook portion 121a interacts with the second inner curved surface 113a2 of the first curved portion 113a, disengaging the retaining groove 113b1. Specifically, due to the elasticity of the elastic hook 121, when the button 12 is rotated from the fixed position to the detachable position, the hook portion 121a originally engaged in the limiting groove 113b1 can move along the second inner curved surface 113a2 of the first curved portion 113a to the first inner curved surface 113a1, causing the entire elastic hook 121 to be squeezed and deformed, causing the hook portion 121a to move radially toward the centerline A1 of the button 12, thereby facilitating the elastic hook 121 to separate from the carrier 11 along the direction of the centerline A1 (for example, from the second surface 112 to the first surface 111), as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4 , the engaging portion 115 includes a first arc-shaped portion 113 a and a second arc-shaped portion 113 b connected to each other. The second arc-shaped portion 113 b forms a limiting groove 113 b 1 opposite to the first arc-shaped portion 113 a . When the button 12 is to be mounted on the carrier 11, the elastic hook 121 of the button 12 is inserted into the through-hole 114, causing the hook portion 121a of the elastic hook 121 to be squeezed by the engaging portion 113, deforming and pressing against the first curved portion 113a of the engaging portion 113. The button 12 is then rotated along the first direction D1 (e.g., clockwise) so that the hook portion 121a of the elastic hook 121 moves to the limiting groove 113b1 and returns to an unpressed state. The hook portion 121a is located above the second curved portion 113b and is limited by the limiting groove 113b1, thereby engaging the hook portion 121a with the carrier 11.

In other embodiments, the engaging portion 115 may include only the first arcuate portion 113a, but not the second arcuate portion 113b, as shown in, for example, Figures 5 and 6. Figures 5 and 6 are structural schematic diagrams of a key of a key assembly according to the second embodiment of the present invention in a fixed position and a detachable position, respectively. In the second embodiment, the engaging portion 115 is an arcuate portion protruding from the second surface 112, and the lever arm of the elastic hook 123 of the key 12 of the second embodiment is shorter than the lever arm of the elastic hook 121 of the first embodiment. As shown in Figure 5, when the key 12 is fixed to the carrier 11, the hook portion 123a of the elastic hook 123 is directly limited in the limiting groove defined by the engaging portion 115 and the second surface 112. In this embodiment, the inner surface of the engaging portion 115 includes a first inner curved surface 115a and a second inner curved surface 115b, and the side surface of the hook portion 123a includes a first inner curved surface 123b and a second inner curved surface 123c. When the button 12 is in a fixed position, the first curved surface 123b of the hook portion 123a is adjacent to the second inner curved surface 115b of the engaging portion 115. When the button 12 is rotated in the second direction D2, the first curved surface 123b of the hook portion 123a interacts with the second inner curved surface 115b of the engaging portion 115, causing it to disengage from the retaining groove. Specifically, due to the elasticity of the elastic hook 123, when the button 12 is rotated from the fixed position to the detachable position, the hook portion 123a, originally constrained between the engaging portion 115 and the second surface 112, can move along the second inner curved surface 115b of the engaging portion 115 to the first inner curved surface 115a. This causes the entire elastic hook 123 to be squeezed and deformed, causing the hook portion 123a to move radially toward the centerline A1 of the button 12 until the second curved surface 123c of the hook portion 123a abuts the first inner curved surface 115a of the engaging portion 115. This facilitates the elastic hook 123 to detach from the carrier 11 along the direction of the centerline A1 (i.e., the direction from the second surface 112 to the first surface 111).

As can be seen from the aforementioned embodiments of the present invention, the key assembly provided by the present invention primarily utilizes a flexible hook on the key and a locking portion on the carrier. This allows assemblers or maintenance personnel to easily remove the key from the carrier by rotating the key, deforming the flexible hook. Similarly, assemblers or maintenance personnel can directly insert the flexible hook into the through-hole of the carrier and rotate the key. The locking portion acts on the flexible hook, causing it to deform and retain its position. As can be seen, the key assembly of the present invention is simple to assemble and disassemble, making it easy to maintain when used in electronic products.

Although the present invention has been disclosed with reference to preferred embodiments, this is not intended to limit the present invention. Anyone skilled in the art may make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be determined by the scope of the attached patent application.

1: Key assembly 11: Carrier 111: First surface 112: Second surface 113: Engaging portion 113a: First curved portion 113a1: First inner curved surface 113a2: Second inner curved surface 113b: Second curved portion 113b1: Limiting groove 114: Perforation 115: Engaging portion 115a: First inner curved surface 115b: Second inner curved surface 12: Key 120: Key body 121: Elastic hook 121a: Hook portion 121b: First curved surface 121c: Second curved surface 123: Elastic hook 123a: Hook portion 123b: First curved surface 123c: Second curved surface 2: Electronic product 21: Housing 211: Opening 22: Electronic component 221: Circuit board 222: Slide switch A1: Centerline D1: First direction D2: Second direction

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic product according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a key assembly according to the first embodiment of the present invention in an exploded state. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a key assembly according to the first embodiment of the present invention with the key in a fixed position. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a key assembly according to the first embodiment of the present invention with the key in a removable position. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a key assembly according to the second embodiment of the present invention with the key in a fixed position. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a key assembly according to the second embodiment of the present invention with the key in a removable position.

11: Carrier

111: First Surface

112: Second Surface

113: Engagement section

113a: First arc-shaped portion

113a1: First inner arc surface

113a2: Second inner arc surface

113b: Second curved portion

113b1: Limiting slot

114: Perforation

12: Button

121: Elastic hook

121a: Hook

121b: First curved surface

121c: Second curved surface

D2: Second Direction

Claims (9)

A key assembly comprises: a carrier including a first surface and a second surface facing each other, at least one through-hole connecting the first surface and the second surface, and a locking portion located on the second surface; and a key rotatably disposed on the carrier and having a fixed position and a detachable position relative to the carrier, the key comprising a key body and at least one elastic hook connected to the key body, the elastic hook comprising a hook portion, the key being inserted into the at least one through-hole of the carrier through the at least one elastic hook; wherein, when the key is rotated along a first direction, the hook portion of the elastic hook is engaged with the engaging portion, the key is located at the fixed position, and the key is fixed to the supporting member; wherein, when the key is rotated along a second direction opposite to the first direction, the hook portion is deformed by the engaging portion, the key is located at the detachable position, and the key is detachable from the supporting member; wherein, when the key is rotated from the fixed position to the detachable position, the hook portion moves radially toward the center line of the key body. As described in claim 1, the locking portion includes a first arc-shaped portion and a second arc-shaped portion connected to the first arc-shaped portion, the height of the first arc-shaped portion is higher than the height of the second arc-shaped portion, and the second arc-shaped portion forms a limiting groove relative to the first arc-shaped portion. As described in claim 2, when the button is in the fixed position, the hook portion is above the second arc portion and limited to the limiting groove; when the button is in the detachable position, the hook portion presses against the first arc portion, and the hook portion is on the inner side of the first arc portion. In the key assembly as described in claim 2, the inner surface of the first curved portion includes a first inner curved surface and a second inner curved surface connected to the first inner curved surface; the side surface of the hook portion includes a first curved surface and a second curved surface connected to the first curved surface, when the key is in the fixed position, the second inner curved surface is adjacent to the first curved surface; when the key is in the detachable position, the second curved surface of the hook portion presses against the first inner curved surface of the first curved portion. As described in claim 4, when the button is rotated from the fixed position to the detachable position, the first arc surface of the hook portion and the second inner arc surface act to disengage from the limiting groove. As described in claim 1, the locking portion includes an arc portion located on the second surface. When the button is located at the fixed position, the arc portion limits the hook portion, and the arc portion restricts the movement of the hook portion. An electronic product comprises: a housing having an internal space; and a key assembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, disposed in the internal space and capable of sliding relative to the housing. The electronic product as described in claim 7, wherein the carrier can slide relative to the housing, wherein the sliding direction of the carrier is different from the first direction and the second direction. The electronic product as described in claim 7, wherein the electronic product is a hair dryer.