Keyboard with elevated key

Keyboard and its lifting button structure and elastic mechanism

The present invention relates to a lifting button structure, and more particularly, to a lifting button structure that can lower a key or a keyboard in a labor-saving manner, while saving space and facilitating storage.

First, please refer to FIG. 1a, which is a schematic diagram showing that the conventional key structure is in an operating state. For example, the conventional US patent US5874696 discloses a button structure for raising and lowering a button, which can be lowered by moving a slider in a horizontal direction. As shown in the figure, a conventional key structure mainly includes a base B, a first link L1, a second link L2, an elastic element E, a slider S, and a keycap C. The first link L1 has a first end L11 and a second end L12, and the second link L2 has a third end L23 and a fourth end L24. In addition, the first link L1 and the second link L2 are pivoted through a pivot P, wherein the first end L11 is pivotally connected to the lower base B, and the fourth end L24 is pivotally connected to the upper keycap C; The second end L12 and the third end L23 are respectively pivotally connected to the upper keycap C and the lower base B.

Please refer to FIG. 1b at the same time. When the slider S moves from the first position A1 in the direction A to the second position A2, the slider S pushes the first end L11 of the first link L1 to move in the direction A and forces the key The cap C is lowered from the height H to the height H . At this time, the button system is in a storage state. The aforementioned key structure can be applied to a keyboard on a notebook computer. When the key structure is at the height H, the user can normally press the keys; however, when the keyboard is not used, the slider S can be moved to make the keys The cap C is lowered to a height H , at this time, the elastic element E is compressed, and the keys can be stored in a state to effectively reduce the overall height of the keyboard.

However, when a force is applied to the slider S to push the first link L1 to force the key structure described above to change from the operating state (height H) to the storage state (height H '), the elastic element E due to compression must be overcome perpendicular to The elastic restoring force on the surface of the base B is often more laborious when pushing the slider S. In addition, since the elastic element E is in a compressed state for a long time (as shown in Fig. 1b), its service life is bound to be greatly shortened. In view of the foregoing shortcomings, the object of the present invention is to provide a lifting button structure that can adjust the height of the keycap C in a relatively labor-saving manner, which is not only conducive to lowering the buttons for convenient storage, but also solves the aforementioned problem of shortening the life of the elastic element.

A lifting button structure includes a keycap, a base, a first link, a second link, a slider, and an elastic element. The first link has a first end and a second end, the first end is movably connected to the base, and the second end is connected to the keycap. The second link is connected to the first link and has a third end and a fourth end. The third end is connected to the base, and the fourth end is movably connected to the keycap. The slider slides between a first position and a second position in a first direction relative to the base, and the elastic element connects the slider and the first link. When the slider is moved from a first position to a second position relative to the base, the elastic element will move with the slider to reduce the force or work required to force the button to fall and be in a stowed state.

When the slider is fixed at the first position, the keycap has a first height relative to the base, and the key structure is in an operating state. At this time, the user can operate the key normally. That is, when the user presses the button, the button moves downward to trigger the switch circuit, and when the user releases the button, the button returns to the original first height due to the elastic restoring force of the elastic element. When the slider is moved to the second position by an external force, the slider drives the first link to bring the keycap closer to the base, and when the slider is fixed in the second position, the keycap has a second relative to the base The key structure is in a storage state due to the height, and the user cannot normally use the key at this time, wherein the first height is greater than the second height.

In a preferred embodiment, the base has a first connection portion and a second connection portion. The first end is movably disposed on the first connection portion, and the third end is pivotally connected to the second connection portion.

The lift button structure described above further includes a thin film circuit, which is located between the base and the slider, and has a first opening and a second opening. The first connection portion and the second connection portion pass through the first An opening and a second opening.

In a preferred embodiment, the first link has a contact portion, and when the keycap is lowered to a second height, the contact portion is in contact with the aforementioned thin film circuit. In addition, the aforementioned elastic element is a spring.

In order to make the above and other objects, features, and advantages of this creation more comprehensible, the following describes the preferred embodiments in detail with the accompanying drawings, as follows:

First embodiment

First, please refer to FIG. 2a and FIG. 2b, which are schematic diagrams showing the structure of a lifting button in the present invention. The invention can be applied to a keyboard of a notebook computer, wherein the keyboard is formed by disposing a plurality of key structures as shown in FIG. 2a on the base 10. As shown in FIG. 2a, the lifting button structure of the present invention is mainly composed of an elastic mechanism Q and an upper key cap 60, wherein the elastic mechanism Q can provide an elastic force for the key cap 60 to move in a vertical direction. In this embodiment, the elastic element R is connected to the first link 40 and the slider S. The slider S is provided with a stop S3. When the slider S is located at the first position X1, the first link 40 and the first link 40 The two links 50 form a first angle a, and the keycap has a first height H so that the keys are in an operating state and can be pressed by the user. At this time, the stopper S3 abuts a part of the first link 40 And the elastic element R is slightly stretched to provide a spring pre-force f to the aforementioned first link 40.

However, when the keys are to be stored without using the keyboard, the slider S can be pushed to a second position X2 in a first direction A (as shown in FIG. 2b), and the first link 40 And the second link 50 forms a second angle b, wherein the first angle a is smaller than the second angle b. At this time, the slider S pushes the first end 41 toward the A direction through the stopper S3 and lowers the keycap C to the second height H , and the elastic element R continuously provides the aforementioned spring preload force f. Conversely, when the key is raised to return to the aforementioned operation state, the slider S can be pushed to the left to move to the aforementioned first position X1. At this time, the elastic element R drives the first link 40 and makes the first end 41 to the left. Move to return to the position as shown in Figure 2a. Because the aforementioned elastic element R moves with the slider S, compared with the traditional button structure in Figures 1a and 1b, it can reduce the power and effort required when the button is lowered. Work.

Then refer to FIG. 2c again. When the key is in the aforementioned operating state (as shown in FIG. 2a), the user can press the key downward. At this time, the elastic element R provides a greater flexibility due to further stretching. The restoring force F is given to the first connecting rod 40, wherein the elastic restoring force F is greater than the aforementioned spring preload force f. As mentioned above, since the elastic mechanism 0 can provide an elastic restoring force F to the upper keycap 60, the direction of the elastic restoring force F is not completely horizontal with the base 10, but has a slightly inclined angle θ. Please refer to FIG. 2d again, the angle θ is less than 45 degrees, so that the horizontal component force Fh of the elastic restoring force F is greater than the vertical component force Fv, so as to provide the force required for the key to rise to the operating state.

Please refer to FIG. 2e for a detailed embodiment of the present invention. The key switch of the present invention mainly includes a base 10, a thin film circuit 20, a first link 40, a second link 50, a keycap 60, a The elastic element R and a slider S. The base 10 has a plurality of first connection portions 101 and second connection portions 103. The first connection portions 101 and the second opening holes 103 in the thin-film circuit 20 are respectively inserted during assembly. In addition, the second link 50 is pivotally connected to the first link 40 through the pivot 501. The first link 40 has a first end 41 and a second end 42, and the second link 50 has a third end 53 andOne four ends 54. A fourth end 54. The first end 41 is pivotably connected to the first connecting portion 101 in a slidable manner, the second end 42 is pivotally connected to the upper keycap 60, and the third end 53 is pivotally connected to the base through the second connecting portion 103. 10. The fourth end 54 is pivotally connected to the keycap C in a slidable manner (as shown in Figs. 2b and 2e).

In particular, an elastic element R and a slider S are provided in the lifting button structure of the present invention, wherein the slider S has a stopper S3 for abutting the first link 40, and the aforementioned elastic element R is It is a spring that connects the slider S and the first link 40. Please refer to FIGS. 2f, 3a, and 3b together. Since the first link 40 is connected to the slider S and the elastic element R, the stop portion S3 abuts on a part of the first link 40 at this time. As shown in Figs. 2f and 3a, at this time, the stopper S3 of the slider S is located at the first position X1 on the X coordinate, and the aforementioned first end 41 is located at the position X411 inside the first connecting portion 101, among which the elastic element The R system is slightly stretched to provide a spring preload force f to the first link 40. In this way, the first link 40 and the second link 50 can form a scissor-like support structure, and the keycap 60 has a first height H (as shown in FIG. 3b) relative to the base 10 and is in an operation. status.

As mentioned before, in Figures 3a and 3b, when the lift button structure of the present invention is in an operating state, the slider S is fixed, and at this time, the stopper S3 abuts a part of the first link 40. It is located at a first position X1 on the X coordinate (as shown in FIG. 3b), and at this time, the keycap 60 has a first height H relative to the base 10. Referring again to Figures 2c, 4a and 4b, when the user presses the button, the first end 41 moves in the first direction A (right of the X axis) and the keycap 60 is lowered to a second height H ', and further The lower film circuit 20 is triggered, in particular, only the elastic element R is further stretched at this time, and the slider S is fixed without moving. Conversely, when the user releases the key, the keycap 60 can be automatically restored to the original first height H by the elastic restoring force F provided by the elastic element R.

As shown in Figures 5a and 5b, when the key is not used, the slider S can be pushed to slide in a first direction A (right of the X axis), and the slider S is moved from the first position X1 on the original X coordinate. To the second position X2, at this time, the slider S continuously pushes against the first link 40 through the stopper S3, and drives the first end 41 to move in the first direction (right of the X axis), while forcing the keycap 60 to descend and In a stored state (as shown in Figure 5b). During the movement of the slider S from the first position X1 to the second position X2 on the original X coordinate, the elastic element R also maintains a spring preload force f, and will not be further stretched due to the movement of the slider S .

However, when the keycap 60 is to be raised to change to the aforementioned operating state, the slider S can be pushed to the aforementioned first position X1. At this time, the slider S and the elastic element R move the first link 40 to the left and make The first end 41 returns to the position X411 inside the first connecting portion 101 (as shown in FIG. 2f). At this time, the keycap 60 rises to the aforementioned first height H and returns to the operating state as shown in FIG. 3b. Among them, as shown in FIG. 2f, a contact portion 51 is provided on the first link 40. When the keycap 60 is pressed, the contact portion 51 is lowered, and the contact portion 51 can be contacted and formed with the circuit portion 51 'on the lower film circuit 20. Turn on to send a button signal.

Second embodiment

FIG. 6a is an exploded view of some keys of a keyboard. In the second embodiment, the present invention provides a keyboard, which is mainly connected to the slider S through a slider M to control a plurality of the aforementioned lifting key structures at the same time. A plurality of sliders S are fixedly mounted on the sliding plate M, and the base 10 is provided with a first sliding groove 100, the sliding plate M is provided with a second sliding groove M0, and a locking member L is passed through the first sliding groove 100 and Inside the second chute M0. As shown in the figure, the second chute M0 has a fixed end M0 'and a movable end M0', and the aforementioned locking member L is movably disposed in the first chute 100 and the second chute M0 to form a lock. The buckle mechanism G is used to control the movement of the skateboard M.

Please refer to FIG. 6b. When the keyboard is not used, the locking member L can be adjusted to the aforementioned movable end M0 ''. At this time, the slider M can be pushed in the first direction A to move the plurality of sliders S to the right of the X axis at the same time. In this way, a plurality of the keycaps 60 above can be driven down at the same time, and the keys are in the aforementioned storage state. Conversely, as shown in FIG. 6c, by pushing the slider M to move the slider S in the reverse direction of the A direction (left of the X axis), the keycap 60 can be raised at the same time and each key can be restored to the aforementioned operating state. . Wherein, as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 6c, by sliding the locking member L to the fixed end M0 'of the second sliding slot M0, the sliding plate M can be engaged with the locking mechanism G to restrict the movement of the slider S. At this time, the user can normally press the lifting button. However, an opening such as the second sliding slot M0 can also be provided directly on the slider S, and the movement of the slider S can be restricted by engaging with the locking member L.

In this embodiment, when the locking member L is located at the movable end M0 '' of the second chute M0, the keyboard can be switched between the aforementioned operating state and the storage state by moving the slider M; otherwise, when the locking member L When it moves to the fixed end M0 'of the second chute M0, the slide plate M and the locking member L are locked and cannot move, so that the keys are in an operating state, so that the user can press the aforementioned lifting on the keyboard normally. Button structure.

Third embodiment

Please refer to FIG. 7. In this embodiment, the structure of the lifting button is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment. In particular, a guide groove portion S4 is provided on the slider S, and its function is equivalent to that of the base in the first embodiment. The first connecting portion 101 on 10, the first end 41 of the first link 40 is located in the above-mentioned guide groove portion S4 after assembly, and can move in the first direction A; thus, the first end 41 passes through the guide groove 41 The sliding portion S4 can drive the keycap 60 to rise or fall, and can be switched between the aforementioned operation state and the storage state. However, the guide groove portion S4 can also be set on the slider M or the slider S as shown in FIG. 6a, and the lift button structure of the present invention can be applied to a keyboard.

Fourth embodiment

Please refer to FIGS. 8a and 9a again. In this embodiment, the elastic element R and the first link 40 are connected through a connecting member C. As shown in FIG. 9a, the connecting member C has a hook-shaped pivotal portion C1 and an abutting portion C2. The pivotal portion C1 is pivotally connected to the first link 40, and the abutting portion C2 is movable. The ground is in contact with the stopper S3 on the slider S. As shown in the figure, when the lift button is in the operating state, the slider S is located at the first position X1. At this time, the abutment portion C2 is in contact with the slider S, and the elastic element R is slightly stretched to provide a spring preload. f Take The aforementioned first link 40.

However, when you want to switch the keys to the storage state when not in use, you can move the slider S in the A direction to the second position X2 (as shown in Figure 8b). At this time, the stopper S3 at the front end of the slider S is passed Push the connecting member C and the first connecting rod 40, so that the first end 41 moves in the direction of A, and at the same time, the keycap C is lowered to the second height H '. During this process, the elastic element R continuously provides the aforementioned spring preload. f. Conversely, when the key is to be restored to the aforementioned operation state, the slider S only needs to be pushed to the left to move to the aforementioned first position X1, thereby driving the first end 41 to move to the left and returning to the position shown in FIG. 8a. .

Then refer to Figures 8c and 9c again. When the button is in the aforementioned operating state (as shown in Figure 8a), the user can press the button downwards. At this time, the position of the slider S does not change, and the first link 40 Then, the connecting member C is driven to move along the A direction. As shown in the figure, when the button is pressed, the aforementioned connecting member C is separated from the slider S, and the elastic element R is further extended to provide a larger elastic restoring force F to the first link 40, where F> f. In this example, the first link 40 is pivotally connected by the connecting member C, and the slider S and the connecting member C are connected through the elastic element R (where the connecting member C is abutted against the slider S in a detachable manner), In this way, not only the assembly of the key structure is facilitated, but also the design of the pivot joint C1 and the first link 40 is pivotally connected, which can reduce the friction generated when the mechanism is operated, so that the user can be more comfortable when operating Save effort.

In summary, the present invention provides a lifting key structure and a keyboard with the lifting key structure. The unique elastic mechanism design not only has the advantages of simple structure and convenient operation, but also can force the key cap to be lowered during storage. This greatly reduces the overall height and facilitates storage.

Although the present invention is disclosed as above through the preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make some modifications and decorations without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be determined by the scope of the appended patent application.

<p>10. . .Base</p><p>100. . .First chute</p><p>101. . .First connection</p><p>101 '. . .First opening</p><p>103. . .Second connection</p><p>103 '. . .Second opening</p><p>20. . .Thin film circuit</p><p>40. . .First connecting rod</p><p>41. . .First end</p><p>42. . .Second end</p><p>50. . .Second link</p><p>501. . .Pivot</p><p>51. . .Contact</p><p>51 '. . .Circuit Department</p><p>53. . .Third end</p><p>54. . .Fourth end</p><p>60. . .keycap</p><p>A. . .First direction</p><p>a. . .First angle</p><p>A1. . .First position</p><p>A2. . .Second position</p><p>b. . .Second angle</p><p>C. . .Connector</p><p>C1. . .Pivot</p><p>C2. . .Abutment</p><p>f. . .Spring preload</p><p>F. . .Elastic restoring force</p><p>Fh. . .Horizontal component force</p><p>Fv. . .Vertical force component</p><p>L. . .Lock fastener</p><p>M. . .skateboard</p><p>M0. . .Second chute</p><p>M0 '. . .Fixed end</p><p>M0 ''. . .Active end</p><p>P. . .Pivot</p><p>Q. . .Flexible mechanism</p><p>R. . .Elastic element</p><p>S. . .Slider</p><p>S3. . .Stop</p><p>S2 '. . .First guide slot</p><p>S2 ''. . .Second guide slot</p><p>X1. . .First position</p><p>X2. . .Second position</p>

Figures 1a and 1b are schematic diagrams showing a conventional key structure;

Fig. 2a is a schematic diagram showing the structure of an elevator button in an operating state according to the present invention;

FIG. 2b is a schematic diagram showing the lifting button structure in a storage state in the present invention; FIG.

FIG. 2c is a schematic diagram showing that the lift button structure is lowered by being pressed in the present invention;

Figure 2d is a schematic diagram showing that the elastic restoring force is inclined by an angle θ;

Fig. 2e is an exploded view showing the structure of a lifting button in the present invention;

Fig. 2f is a perspective view showing the structure of a lifting button in the present invention;

Figure 3a is a top view showing the structure of the lift button in the operating state;

Figure 3b is a side view showing the lift button structure in an operating state;

Figure 4a is a top view showing that the lift button structure is lowered by being pressed;

Figure 4b is a side view showing that the lifting button structure is lowered by being pressed;

Figure 5a is a top view showing the structure of the lifting button when it is stored;

Figure 5b is a side view showing the structure of the lift button in the storage state;

Figure 6a is an exploded view of a keyboard with a lifting button structure in the present invention;

Fig. 6b is a schematic diagram showing a keyboard with a lifting button structure in a storage state in the present invention

FIG. 6c is a schematic diagram showing an operating state of a keyboard with a lifting button structure in the present invention; FIG.

FIG. 7 is an exploded view showing another embodiment of the structure of the lift button in the present invention; FIG.

FIG. 8a is a schematic diagram showing a structure of an elevator button in an operating state according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

FIG. 8b is a schematic diagram showing a lift button structure in a storage state in a fourth embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

FIG. 8c is a schematic diagram showing that the lift button structure is lowered by pressing in the fourth embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

Fig. 9a is a schematic diagram showing the elastic element connecting the slider and the connecting member in the fourth embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 9b is a schematic diagram showing the slider and the connecting member separated in the fourth embodiment of the present invention.