CN103105933B - Keyboard module and portable electronic device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention discloses a keyboard module and a portable electronic device. The portable electronic device comprises a display module and a keyboard module electrically connected with the display module. The keyboard module comprises a circuit board, a light guide layer, a decorative layer and at least one key sheet. The circuit board is provided with at least one touch switch. The light guide layer is arranged on the circuit board to guide light, wherein the touch switch is positioned below the light guide layer. The decorative layer is glued on the light guide layer and is provided with at least one opening, and the position of the opening corresponds to the position of the touch switch. The key sheet is arranged on the light guide layer and is respectively positioned in the openings, and the key sheet is provided with a light-transmitting pattern, so that light rays from the light guide layer can be emitted from the light-transmitting pattern of the key sheet. The thickness of the keyboard module is reduced, so that the portable electronic device can achieve the thinning effect.

Description

Keyboard module and portable electronic device

technical field

The invention relates to a keyboard module, and in particular to a keyboard module suitable for portable electronic devices.

Background technique

Portable electronic devices refer to electronic devices that users can carry and operate with them, such as mobile phones, multimedia players, personal digital assistants, notebook computers, handheld game consoles, and satellite navigation devices. This type of electronic device usually has a smaller size and lighter weight, so that users can carry it around. Some types of handheld electronic devices (such as smart phones) are equipped with a standard keyboard (QWERTY) to increase the speed of data input.

In order to take into account both large-scale image display and high-speed data input, the smart phone can adopt the design of a slide-type double-layer body, so the display module can be arranged on the front of the upper body, and the keyboard module (such as a standard keyboard (QWERTY) )) can be arranged on the side of the lower body towards the upper body. In order to meet the requirement of thinning, the individual thicknesses of all the components of the smart phone (including the display module and the keyboard module, etc.) must be further reduced.

Contents of the invention

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a keyboard module with a thinner thickness.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable electronic device having a thinner keyboard module.

To achieve the above purpose, the present invention provides a keyboard module, which includes a circuit board, a light guide layer, a decoration layer and at least one key sheet. The circuit board has at least one touch switch. The light guide layer is arranged on the circuit board to guide the light, wherein the touch switch is located under the light guide layer. The decoration layer is glued on the light guide layer and has at least one opening, and the position of each opening corresponds to the position of each touch switch. Each key piece is arranged on the light guide layer and is respectively located in each opening. The key piece has a light-transmitting pattern, so that the light from the light-guiding layer can be emitted from the light-transmitting pattern of each key piece.

The invention also provides a portable electronic device, which includes a display module and a keyboard module. The keyboard module is electrically connected to the display module, and the button module includes a circuit board, a light guide layer, a decoration layer and at least one button sheet. The circuit board has at least one touch switch. The light guide layer is arranged on the circuit board to guide the light, wherein the touch switch is located under the light guide layer. The decoration layer is glued on the light guide layer and has at least one opening, and the position of each opening corresponds to the position of each touch switch. Each key piece is arranged on the light guide layer and is respectively located in each opening. The key piece has a light-transmitting pattern, so that the light from the light-guiding layer can be emitted from the light-transmitting pattern of each key piece.

Based on the above, the keyboard module of the present invention has a small thickness, so it can assist the portable electronic device to achieve the effect of thinning.

In order to make the above-mentioned features and advantages of the present invention more comprehensible, the following specific embodiments are described in detail together with the accompanying drawings.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a top view of a portable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a partially enlarged view of the keyboard module of Fig. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view along line I-I of FIG. 2 .

Description of main component symbols

10: Portable Electronic Devices

100: display module

200: Keyboard module

210: circuit board

212: Touch switch

212a: electrode

212b: metal dome

220: light guide layer

230: decorative layer

232: opening

240: Keypad

242: Basic Department

244: pattern layer

244a: Translucent pattern

250: light source

260: shading layer

270: glue layer

detailed description

FIG. 1 is a top view of a portable electronic device according to an embodiment of the invention. Please refer to FIG. 1 , the portable electronic device 10 of this embodiment includes a display module 100 and a keyboard module 200 . The keyboard module 200 is electrically connected to the display module 100 .

FIG. 2 is a partial enlarged view of the keyboard module 200 of FIG. 1 , and FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view along line I-I of FIG. 2 . Please refer to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 , the keyboard module 200 of this embodiment includes a circuit board 210 , a light guide layer 220 , a decoration layer 230 and at least one key sheet 240 . The circuit board 210 has at least one touch switch 212 . The light guide layer 220 is disposed on the circuit board 210 to guide light, wherein the touch switch 212 is located under the light guide layer 220 . The decoration layer 230 is glued on the light guide layer 220 and has at least one opening 232 , and the position of the opening 232 corresponds to the position of the touch switch 212 . The button sheets 240 are disposed on the light guide layer 220 and located in the opening 232 . The button sheets 240 have a light-transmitting pattern 244 a so that light from the light-guiding layer 220 can be emitted from the light-transmitting pattern 244 a of each button sheet 240 .

In this embodiment, the keyboard module 200 may further include a light source 250 disposed on a side edge of the light guide layer 220 to supply light to the light guide layer 220 . The light source 250 can be a light emitting diode or the like. In another unillustrated embodiment, other light sources of the portable electronic device may also be used to supply light to the light guide layer 220 .

In this embodiment, the touch switch 212 is composed of an electrode 212a and a metal dome 212b formed on the circuit board 210 . The top of the metal dome 212b can be adjacent to or against the lower surface of the light guide layer 220. Therefore, when the user presses the button sheet 240 with force, the light guide layer 220 will transfer the force to the metal dome 212b to press the metal dome. The cover 212b can electrically contact and conduct the electrode 212a. In addition, the metal dome 212b can be used to provide tactile feedback when the user presses, so that the user can know whether the press is successful or not.

In order to prevent the light of the light guide layer 220 from being emitted from the gap between the decoration layer 230 and the key sheet 240, the keyboard module 200 of this embodiment may further include a light shielding layer 260, which is arranged on the light guide layer 220 and located on the decoration layer. 230 and the gap between the key sheet 240 to shield and prevent the light guided by the light guide layer 220 from exiting through the gap. In this embodiment, in order to ensure the light-shielding effect of the light-shielding layer 260 , the decoration layer 230 partially overlaps the light-shielding layer 260 , and the key sheet 240 partially overlaps the light-shielding layer 260 .

In this embodiment, the decoration layer 230 and the button sheet 240 can be adhered to the light guide layer 220 through an adhesive layer 270 . The material of the glue layer 270 includes ultraviolet curing glue, but not limited thereto.

In this embodiment, the key sheet 240 includes a base portion 242 and a pattern layer 244 , the pattern layer 244 is located on the base portion 242 and has a transparent pattern 244 a. The light-transmitting pattern 244a is a pattern, a character, a symbol or any combination thereof, and the light passing through the light-guiding layer 220 and the base portion 242 can be emitted from the light-transmitting pattern 244a. The base part 242 is transparent, and the material of the base part 242 may include polycarbonate, polycarbonate-ABS or liquid rubber.

In this embodiment, the base part 242 can be made by molding. When the light-transmitting pattern 244a is hollow, a part of the base part 242 can protrude into the position of the light-transmitting pattern 244a to fill the light-transmitting pattern 244a during the molding process of forming the base part.

Since the hollow part of the light-transmitting pattern 244a is filled by the base part 242, the light of the light-guiding layer 220 can be emitted from the light-transmitting pattern 244a to form a pattern image through the light-transmitting property of the base part 242, so that the user can The character or symbol represented by the light-transmitting pattern 244 a is recognized by using the pattern image emitted from the key sheet 240 .

To sum up, the keyboard module of the present invention has a small thickness, so it can assist the portable electronic device to achieve thinning effect.

Although the present invention has been disclosed in conjunction with the above embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Anyone skilled in the art can make some modifications and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention should be defined by the appended claims.

Claims (10)

1. A keyboard module suitable for a portable electronic device, the keyboard module comprising: A circuit board having at least one touch switch; A light guide layer is arranged on the circuit board to guide light, wherein the at least one touch switch is located under the light guide layer; a decorative layer, glued on the light guide layer and having at least one opening, and the position of the opening corresponds to the position of the touch switch; At least one key sheet is arranged on the light guide layer and located in the opening, and the key sheet has a light-transmitting pattern, so that the light from the light-guiding layer can be emitted from the light-transmitting pattern of the key sheet; a light source arranged at the side edge of the light guide layer to supply light to the light guide layer; and a light-shielding layer configured on the light-guiding layer and located between the decoration layer and a gap between the key sheet to shield the light guided by the light-guiding layer, wherein the decoration layer partially overlaps the light-shielding layer, and The button sheet partially overlaps the light-shielding layer. 2. The keyboard module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the decoration layer and the key sheet are adhered to the light guide layer through an adhesive layer. 3. The keyboard module according to claim 1, wherein the key sheet comprises: Foundation Department; and The pattern layer is located on the base part and has the light-transmitting pattern, wherein the light-transmitting pattern is a pattern, character or symbol. 4. The keyboard module as claimed in claim 3, wherein the material of the base part comprises polycarbonate, polycarbonate-ABS or liquid rubber. 5. The keyboard module as claimed in claim 3, wherein the light-transmitting pattern is hollow, and a part of the base part protrudes into the light-transmitting pattern. 6. A portable electronic device, comprising: display module; A keyboard module, electrically connected to the display module, the keyboard module includes: A circuit board having at least one touch switch; A light guide layer is arranged on the circuit board to guide light, wherein the at least one touch switch is located under the light guide layer; a decorative layer, glued on the light guide layer and having at least one opening, and the position of each opening corresponds to the position of each touch switch; At least one button sheet is arranged on the light guide layer and located in the opening, and the button sheet has a light-transmitting pattern, so that the light from the light-guiding layer can be emitted from the light-transmitting pattern of the button sheet a light source arranged at the side edge of the light guide layer to supply light to the light guide layer; and a light-shielding layer configured on the light-guiding layer and located between the decoration layer and a gap between the key sheet to shield the light guided by the light-guiding layer, wherein the decoration layer partially overlaps the light-shielding layer, and The button sheet partially overlaps the light-shielding layer. 7. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the decoration layer and the key sheet are adhered to the light guide layer through an adhesive layer. 8. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the button sheet comprises: Foundation Department; and The pattern layer is located on the base part and has the light-transmitting pattern, wherein the light-transmitting pattern is a pattern, character or symbol. 9. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the material of the base part comprises polycarbonate, polycarbonate-ABS or liquid rubber. 10. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the light-transmitting pattern is hollow, and part of the base part protrudes into the light-transmitting pattern.