CN107068459B

CN107068459B - Key structure and electronic equipment

Info

Publication number: CN107068459B
Application number: CN201710020090.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 李永坚
Original assignee: Shenzhen Voxtech Co Ltd
Current assignee: Shenzhen Voxtech Co Ltd
Priority date: 2017-01-11
Filing date: 2017-01-11
Publication date: 2020-08-25
Anticipated expiration: 2037-01-11
Also published as: CN107068459A

Abstract

The invention discloses a key structure and electronic equipment, wherein the key structure comprises a shell, a button and a soft sealing element, wherein the button and the soft sealing element are arranged on the shell, an installation cavity is formed in the shell, the shell is provided with a through hole for the button to pass through, the through hole is communicated with the installation cavity, the soft sealing element is arranged in the installation cavity, a cover cap seals the installation cavity, and the side edge of the soft sealing element is abutted against the side wall of the installation cavity. The technical scheme of the invention simplifies the key structure, simplifies the processing and reduces the cost.

Description

Key structure and electronic equipment

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of electronic products, and more particularly, to a key structure and an electronic device using the same.

Background

Electronic products are generally provided with physical keys to control the operation of the electronic products. For example, the headset requires a volume adjustment key. The key has two types, namely a touch type key, and is characterized in that holes are not needed, the needed space is related to the size of a touch device, the device is embedded on the shell, the waterproof effect is good, but the device is easy to be triggered by mistake when in use, blind operation is difficult to achieve, and the key is not suitable for a plurality of key combinations and an earphone product with invisible operation; the structure is characterized in that holes are required, the keys and the shell move mutually, the structure is required to be waterproof, a certain space is required for the product, the keys in the structure have strong touch feeling, are not easy to trigger mistakenly, can be operated in a blind mode easily, and are suitable for a plurality of key combinations and operate invisible earphone products. The existing opening structure is generally designed by adopting double-color mold injection molding, the soft rubber is injected on the shell, however, the double-color mold injection molding process is complex, the process difficulty is high, the double-color mold is high in cost, and the soft and hard rubber simultaneously serves as the appearance of the product, so that the overall appearance of the product is influenced.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention mainly aims to provide a key structure, aiming at simplifying the key structure, simplifying the processing and reducing the cost.

In order to achieve the above object, the key structure provided by the present invention includes a housing, a button mounted on the housing, and a soft sealing element, wherein a mounting cavity is formed in the housing, the housing is provided with a through hole for the button to pass through, the through hole is communicated with the mounting cavity, the soft sealing element is mounted in the mounting cavity, a cover cap seals the mounting cavity, and a side edge of the soft sealing element abuts against a side wall of the mounting cavity.

Optionally, a protrusion is disposed on a side of the soft sealing member, the protrusion surrounds the soft sealing member, and the protrusion abuts against a side wall of the mounting cavity.

Optionally, the side of the soft sealing element is provided with at least two protrusions, and the at least two protrusions are arranged at intervals on the side of the soft sealing element along the pressing direction of the button.

Optionally, the key structure further includes a fixing member disposed in the housing, the fixing member is provided with a via hole facing the button, and the fixing member is crimped to the soft sealing member.

Optionally, a connecting plate is arranged in the shell, the connecting plate surrounds the installation cavity, an installation gap is formed between the side wall of the shell and the connecting plate, and the fixing piece is provided with an insertion part which is inserted in the installation gap.

Optionally, an adhesive is disposed between the insertion part and the side wall of the housing.

Optionally, the button structure further includes a circuit board disposed in the housing, the circuit board is provided with a touch area, the touch area faces the via hole, and the button is connected to the touch area when pressed.

Optionally, a gasket is further disposed between the circuit board and the soft sealing element, and the gasket is located in the through hole.

The invention further provides electronic equipment which comprises a key structure, wherein the key structure comprises a shell, a button and a soft sealing element, the button and the soft sealing element are arranged on the shell, an installation cavity is formed in the shell, the shell is provided with a through hole for the button to pass through, the through hole is communicated with the installation cavity, the soft sealing element is arranged in the installation cavity, the installation cavity is sealed by a cover, and the side edge of the soft sealing element abuts against the side wall of the installation cavity.

Preferably, the electronic device is an earphone or an interphone.

According to the technical scheme, the soft sealing element is adopted, and the side edge of the soft sealing element is abutted in the mounting cavity of the shell to seal the mounting cavity, so that water is prevented from flowing into the shell through the mounting cavity to damage internal electronic components. The key structure not only ensures strong hand feeling, but also provides good guarantee for waterproof sealing, and can reach the standard of IP 67. The side edge of the soft sealing piece is abutted against the side wall of the mounting cavity, and the side edge of the soft sealing piece is in interference fit with the side wall of the mounting cavity, so that the mounting volume of the soft sealing piece can be saved, and further the space of the key structure is saved.

Drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly described below, it is obvious that the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention, and for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained according to the structures shown in the drawings without creative efforts.

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a key structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a key structure of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view taken at A in FIG. 2;

fig. 4 is an exploded view of the key structure of fig. 2 in cross-section.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a first embodiment of a projection of a soft seal;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a second embodiment of a projection of a soft seal;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a third embodiment of a projection of a soft seal;

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of a fourth embodiment of a projection of a soft seal;

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a fifth embodiment of a projection of a soft seal.

The reference numbers illustrate:

reference numerals	Name (R)	Reference numerals	Name (R)
				100	Key structure	50	Soft sealing element
10	Shell body	51	Projection
				10a	Mounting cavity	53	Hook part
10b	Through hole	70	Fixing piece
				10c	Let a mouthful	70a	Via hole
10d	Mounting gap	71	Plug-in part
				11	Connecting plate	80	Gasket
30	Push button	90	Circuit board

The implementation, functional features and advantages of the objects of the present invention will be further explained with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Detailed Description

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention, and it is obvious that the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments, which can be derived by a person skilled in the art from the embodiments given herein without making any creative effort, shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

It should be noted that all the directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, and rear … …) in the embodiment of the present invention are only used to explain the relative position relationship between the components, the movement situation, etc. in a specific posture (as shown in the drawing), and if the specific posture is changed, the directional indicator is changed accordingly.

In the present invention, unless otherwise expressly stated or limited, the terms "connected," "secured," and the like are to be construed broadly, and for example, "secured" may be a fixed connection, a removable connection, or an integral part; can be mechanically or electrically connected; they may be directly connected or indirectly connected through intervening media, or they may be connected internally or in any other suitable relationship, unless expressly stated otherwise. The specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood by those skilled in the art according to specific situations.

In addition, the descriptions related to "first", "second", etc. in the present invention are only for descriptive purposes and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one such feature. In addition, technical solutions between various embodiments may be combined with each other, but must be realized by a person skilled in the art, and when the technical solutions are contradictory or cannot be realized, such a combination should not be considered to exist, and is not within the protection scope of the present invention.

Referring to fig. 1 to 4, the present invention provides a key structure 100, where the key structure 100 includes a housing 10, a button 30 installed in the housing 10, and a soft sealing element 50, a mounting cavity 10a is formed in the housing 10, the housing 10 is provided with a through hole 10b for the button 30 to pass through, the through hole 10b is communicated with the mounting cavity 10a, the soft sealing element 50 is installed in the mounting cavity 10a, the mounting cavity 10a is sealed by a cover, and a side edge of the soft sealing element 50 abuts against a side wall of the mounting cavity 10 a.

The housing 10 may be a rigid plastic shell integrally formed by injection molding, the rigid material includes but is not limited to acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), Polycarbonate (PC), thermoplastic silicone sulfide (TPSIV), Polyamide (PA) or/and other rigid plastic and a mixture of two or more of the above materials, the matching portion is made of a soft material, and the soft material that can be used for the soft sealing element 50 includes but is not limited to soft silicone, silicone rubber or/and other soft plastic and a mixture of two or more of the above materials.

The shape of the installation cavity 10a can be selected according to actual conditions, and a yielding opening 10c can be opened in the installation cavity 10a, and the yielding opening 10c is arranged to face the through hole 10 b. The soft seal 50 covers and seals the relief opening 10 c.

The shape of the through hole 10b is matched with the shape of the button 30, and when the button 30 is a double-pressing part or a plurality of pressing parts, the shape of the through hole 10b is also changed adaptively. The position-giving opening 10c is provided for contacting the button 30 to the soft sealing member 50, and the button 30 contacts the soft sealing member 50 and then contacts an internal electronic component such as the circuit board 90 to control the electronic product.

The technical scheme of the invention adopts the soft sealing element 50, and the side edge of the soft sealing element 50 is abutted in the installation cavity 10a of the shell 10 to seal the installation cavity 10a, so that water is prevented from flowing into the shell 10 through the installation cavity 10a to damage internal electronic components. The key structure 100 not only ensures strong hand feeling, but also provides good guarantee for waterproof sealing, and can reach the standard of IP 67. The side edge of the soft sealing element 50 is abutted against the side wall of the mounting cavity 10a, and the side edge of the soft sealing element 50 is in interference fit with the side wall of the mounting cavity 10a, so that the mounting volume of the soft sealing element 50 can be saved, and the space of the key structure 100 is saved.

In this embodiment, a protrusion 51 is disposed on a side of the soft sealing element 50, the protrusion 51 is disposed around the soft sealing element 50, and the protrusion 51 abuts against a sidewall of the mounting cavity 10 a.

The soft sealing element 50 is more convenient and faster to be in interference fit with the connecting plate 11 through the protrusion 51, and certain requirements are required for the interference fit amount in order to ensure the sealing performance of the key structure 100; on the other hand, in consideration of the space size, the ease of assembly, and the improvement in the service life of the fitting portion, there is a demand for an upper limit of the interference fit amount. In the present invention, the interference fit amount is defined as: before and after assembly, the ratio of the amount of deformation of the projection in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the side wall to the dimension of the projection in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the side wall before modification. Through experiments and related designs, the interference fit amount in the invention is 15-30%, preferably 20-30%, and more preferably 20-25%.

In another embodiment of the present invention, at least two protrusions 51 are disposed on a side of the soft sealing element 50, and at least two protrusions 51 are spaced apart from the side of the soft sealing element 50 along the pressing direction of the button 30. The soft sealing element 50 is more convenient and stable to mount and has better waterproof performance due to the arrangement of the plurality of bulges 51.

Referring to fig. 5 to 9, the protrusion 51 may have a wedge shape, a semicircular shape, a triangular shape, or the like. The position and shape of the arrangement can be selected according to the actual production space and the processing technology.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a side wall of the mounting cavity 10a is provided with a locking groove (not shown), and the protrusion 51 abuts against the locking groove. The arrangement of the clamping groove can facilitate the installation of the protrusion 51, so that the installation of the soft sealing element 50 is more stable, and meanwhile, the assembly space can be saved.

Regarding the selection of the material of the soft seal 50, in consideration of convenience of the assembly process, and in consideration of the service life and the pressing comfort during the actual use process, it is preferable that the hardness of the material of the soft seal 50 is shore a HA50 to HA 70, further, the hardness of the material of the soft seal 50 is shore a HA 60 to HA 70, and further, the hardness of the material of the soft seal 50 is shore a HA 60 to HA 65. In consideration of the material of the soft sealing member 50, it is preferable that the soft sealing member 50 includes, but is not limited to, soft silicone rubber, silicon rubber, and a mixture of two materials of the above materials at any ratio.

Referring to fig. 2, in the present embodiment, the key structure 100 further includes a fixing member 70 disposed in the housing 10, the fixing member 70 is provided with a through hole 70a, the through hole 70a faces the button 30, and the fixing member 70 is pressed against the soft sealing member 50.

The soft sealing member 50 is prevented from coming off the mounting cavity 10a by the press-fitting of the fixing member 70, so that the key structure 100 is more stable. A hook portion 53 is provided on a surface of the soft seal 50 facing the fixing member 70, and the hook portion 53 is engaged with the fixing member 70. The fixing member 70 may be disposed in a plate shape, and the hook portion 53 is clamped at a side of the fixing member 70.

With reference to fig. 4, further, a connecting plate 11 is disposed in the housing 10, the connecting plate 11 encloses the mounting cavity 10a, a mounting gap 10d is formed between the side wall of the housing 10 and the connecting plate 11, and the fixing member 70 is disposed with an insertion portion 71, and the insertion portion 71 is inserted into the mounting gap 10 d. The connecting plate 11 is formed by downwardly protruding the inner surface of the housing 10, and the connecting plate 11 may be integrally formed with the inner surface of the housing 10, or may be separated from the housing 10 and connected thereto by adhesion. The connection plate 11 may be disposed perpendicular to the inner surface of the housing 10 or may be disposed obliquely. The connecting plate 11 is formed as a side wall of the mounting cavity 10 a. A waterproof seal is formed at the relief opening 10c of the installation cavity 10 a. The insertion part 71 of the fixing member 70 is inserted into the installation gap 10d, so that the installation of the fixing member 70 is more convenient.

Further, an adhesive is disposed between the insertion portion 71 and the sidewall of the housing 10. The installation space can be saved by bonding the fixing member 70 while enhancing the waterproof property. The adhesive material can be selected from rubber type sealing material, resin type sealing material, etc., and mixture of two or more of the above materials at any ratio. The rubber-type sealing material includes, but is not limited to, polysulfide rubber, silicone rubber, urethane rubber, chloroprene rubber, butyl rubber, and the like, and the resin-type sealing material includes, but is not limited to, epoxy resin, unsaturated polyester resin, phenol resin, polyacrylic resin, polyvinyl chloride resin, and the like.

Referring to fig. 2 and 4, in the present embodiment, the key structure 100 further includes a circuit board 90 disposed in the housing 10, the circuit board 90 is provided with a touch area facing the via 70a, and the button 30 is connected to the touch area when pressed. When the key structure 100 is operated, the button 30 passes through the through hole 10b and then contacts with the soft sealing member 50, and then passes through the through hole 70a and then contacts with the touch area, so as to form a touch signal.

Since the contact surface of the button 30 is generally small, and the hardness of the material of the button 30 and the circuit board 90 is much higher than that of the soft sealing member 50, if the button 30 and the soft sealing member 50 directly press the circuit board 90 after contacting, it is equivalent to two hard materials pressing one soft material. After long-term use, the contact part of the normal button 30 and the soft sealing element 50 is often worn, which affects the hand feeling of the button 30, and in severe cases, the contact surface of the button 30 directly wears the soft sealing element 50, which directly affects the water resistance and related functions of the button 30. Therefore, preferably, a gasket 80 is further disposed between the circuit board 90 and the soft seal 50, and the gasket 80 is located in the via 70 a. Due to the introduction of the gasket 80, the contact area between the lower end of the button 30 and the circuit board 90 is indirectly increased, the service life of the key structure 100 is prolonged, and the stability of the hand feeling of the button 30 is ensured. The material of the gasket 80 is selected from, but not limited to, metal, ceramic, polymer, etc.

The present invention further provides an electronic device (not shown), where the electronic device includes a key structure 100, and the specific structure of the key structure 100 refers to the above embodiments, and since the electronic device adopts all technical solutions of all the above embodiments, the electronic device at least has all beneficial effects brought by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, and details are not repeated herein.

Further, the electronic device is an earphone or an interphone. Of course, the electronic device may also be other electronic devices such as a mobile phone, a tablet computer, or a handheld PDA, and the electronic device having the key structure 100 is within the protection scope of the present invention.

The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, and all modifications and equivalents of the present invention, which are made by the contents of the present specification and the accompanying drawings, or directly/indirectly applied to other related technical fields, are included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A key structure is characterized by comprising a shell, a button and a soft sealing element, wherein the button and the soft sealing element are arranged on the shell, an installation cavity is formed in the shell, a through hole for the button to pass through is formed in the shell, the through hole is communicated with the installation cavity, the soft sealing element is arranged in the installation cavity, a cover cap seals the installation cavity, and the side edge of the soft sealing element abuts against the side wall of the installation cavity;

the key structure also comprises a fixing piece which is arranged in the shell and is positioned on one side of the soft sealing piece far away from the button, the fixing piece is provided with a through hole, the through hole faces the button, the fixing piece is pressed and connected with the soft sealing piece, the surface of the soft sealing piece facing the fixing piece is provided with a hook part, and the hook part is clamped and connected with the fixing piece;

the shell is internally provided with a connecting plate which surrounds the mounting cavity, a mounting gap is formed between the side wall of the shell and the connecting plate, the fixing piece is provided with an inserting part which protrudes along the direction towards one side of the button and is inserted in the mounting gap,

the side edge of the soft sealing element is provided with a bulge, the inner side of the inserting part is provided with a groove which is sunken along the direction far away from one side of the button, the bulge is arranged on the outer side of the hook part and surrounds the soft sealing element, and is inserted into the groove together with the hook part and the connecting plate, and the bulge abuts against the side wall of the connecting plate.

2. The key structure of claim 1, wherein the side of the soft sealing member is provided with at least two protrusions, and the at least two protrusions are spaced apart from the side of the soft sealing member along the pressing direction of the button.

3. The key structure of claim 1, wherein an adhesive is disposed between the insertion portion and the sidewall of the housing.

4. The key structure of claim 1, further comprising a circuit board disposed within the housing, the circuit board having a touch area facing the via, the button being connected to the touch area when pressed.

5. The key structure of claim 4, wherein a gasket is disposed between said circuit board and said soft seal, said gasket being disposed within said via.

6. An electronic device comprising a key structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the electronic device is an earphone or a walkie-talkie.