CN108630479A - Keyboard device and method for manufacturing key frame thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a keyboard device and a manufacturing method of a key frame, wherein the key frame of the keyboard device comprises a shell and a containing hole which longitudinally penetrates through the shell and is used for a key cap to move in, the shell is provided with a first base material layer, a second base material layer and a laminating layer, the first base material layer and the second base material layer are longitudinally laminated, and the second base material layer is combined with the first base material layer through the laminating layer. The first base material layer and the second base material layer are made of a first material and a second material respectively, and the hardness of the second material is smaller than that of the first material, so that the operation hand feeling of a user when the keycap is pressed is improved.

Description

Keyboard device and method for manufacturing the same

technical field

The invention relates to the field of input devices, in particular to a keyboard device and a method for manufacturing the key frame.

Background technique

The common input devices around the computer include a mouse device, a keyboard device, and a trackball device, among which the keyboard device can be used for users to directly input characters and symbols into the computer, so it is highly valued.

First, the structure and function of the existing keyboard device will be described. Please refer to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the appearance structure of the existing keyboard device. FIG. A perspective exploded schematic diagram of a partial structure of the keyboard device shown in FIG. 1 . For a clearer illustration, only part of the key frame, single key structure and related component structures are depicted in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 . The existing keyboard device 1 includes a plurality of key structures 10, a key base plate 11, a thin film circuit board 12 and a key frame 13, and the thin film circuit board 12 has a plurality of membrane switches 121 corresponding to the plurality of key structures 10, and each A button structure 10 includes a keycap 101, a scissors-type connection element 102, and an elastic body 103. The scissors-type connection element 102 is connected between the keycap 101 and the key base 11, and includes a first frame 1021 and is pivotally connected to the first frame. 1021 of the second frame 1022, so the first frame 1021 and the second frame 1022 can swing relative to each other. In addition, the elastic body 103 is disposed between the key cap 101 and the key bottom plate 11 and has a contact portion (not shown).

Wherein, when the key cap 101 of any key structure 10 is pressed and moves downward relative to the key base plate 11, the first frame 1021 and the second frame 1022 of the scissors-type connection element 102 will be changed from the open-closed state to the folded state. state, and the key cap 101 moving downward will press the elastic body 103, so that the abutment of the elastic body 103 will abut against and trigger the corresponding membrane switch 121, so that the keyboard device 1 generates a corresponding key signal. And when the keycap 101 of the key structure 10 is no longer pressed, the keycap 101 will move upward relative to the key base plate 11 in response to the elastic force of the elastic body 103. At this time, the first frame 1021 and the second frame 1022 will be formed by The folded state is changed to the open state, and the keycap 101 will return to its original position.

Moreover, the key frame 13 is disposed above the thin film circuit board 12, and has a housing 132 and a plurality of accommodating holes 131 respectively corresponding to the plurality of key structures 10, and each accommodating hole 131 is used for a corresponding The key cap 101 of the key structure 10 moves therein. For a specific purpose, for example, in order to allow a notebook computer (not shown) using the keyboard device 1 to have a thinner profile when carried, and to allow the keycap 101 to have a larger travel distance for the user to operate. To bring users a better operating feel, the keyboard device 1 is designed so that the keycap 101 can rise or fall in response to the movement of the key frame 13. Such a mechanism design is known to those skilled in the art and will not be described here. repeat.

However, the above mechanism design will cause the user to feel uncomfortable when operating the keyboard device 1 due to the relative positional relationship between the key cap 101 of the key structure 10 and the key frame 13 . In detail, please refer to FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B. FIG. 4A is a schematic diagram of the state when the keycap of the key structure of the keyboard device shown in FIG. 1 is not pressed, and FIG. 4B is the key structure of the keyboard device shown in FIG. 1 4A and 4B also only draw part of the key structure and key frame for a clearer illustration. 4A and 4B illustrate that when the key cap 101 of the key structure 10 of the keyboard device 1 is pressed, the key cap 101 will be lower than the upper surface of the housing 132 of the key frame 13, and the housing 132 of the key frame 13 Interference with the finger 9 touching the keycap 101 will result in an unfavorable operating feel, as shown by the circle mark in FIG. 4B . Therefore, the existing keyboard device 1 has room for improvement.

Contents of the invention

An object of the present invention is to provide a keyboard device whose keyframe includes a plurality of materials, thereby improving the user's operating feel when pressing the keycaps of the keyboard device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing the key frame of the above-mentioned keyboard device, thereby simplifying the alignment process of multiple materials.

In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a keyboard device, including a thin film circuit board, a key frame and a key structure; the thin film circuit board has a membrane switch; the key frame is arranged on the top of the thin film circuit board, and It includes a housing and an accommodating hole longitudinally penetrating through the housing; wherein, the housing has a first base material layer, a second base material layer stacked vertically, and the first base material layer and the second base material layer An adhesive layer between the substrate layers, and the first substrate layer is combined with the second substrate layer through the adhesive layer; the button structure corresponds to the membrane switch and includes a keycap, and the The keycap is used to move in the accommodating hole by being pressed.

In a preferred embodiment, the present invention also provides a method for manufacturing a key frame of a keyboard device, which is used to manufacture a key frame of a keyboard device. The key frame includes a housing and a plurality of accommodating holes, and the A plurality of accommodating holes are respectively used for a plurality of key caps of the keyboard device to move therein, and the manufacturing method of the key frame includes:

A first base material layer of the housing is formed by an injection process; wherein the first base material layer is made of a first material and includes a plurality of first through holes respectively corresponding to the plurality of accommodating holes ;

bonding a monolithic substrate made of a second material to the first substrate layer via an adhesive layer; and

Cutting out a plurality of second through holes respectively corresponding to the plurality of accommodating holes on the single base material by a cutting process to form a second base material layer of the housing; wherein, any of the second through holes communicate with the corresponding first through hole.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the appearance and structure of a conventional keyboard device.

FIG. 2 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a partial structure of the keyboard device shown in FIG. 1 .

FIG. 3 is a three-dimensional exploded schematic diagram of a partial structure of the keyboard device shown in FIG. 1 .

FIG. 4A is a schematic diagram of the state of the key structure of the keyboard device shown in FIG. 1 when the key cap is not pressed.

FIG. 4B is a schematic diagram of the state after the key cap of the key structure of the keyboard device shown in FIG. 1 is pressed.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the appearance structure of a keyboard device in a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a partial structure of the keyboard device shown in FIG. 5 .

FIG. 7 is a three-dimensional exploded schematic diagram of a partial structure of the keyboard device shown in FIG. 5 .

FIG. 8 is a three-dimensional exploded view of the thin film circuit board of the keyboard device shown in FIG. 5 .

FIG. 9A is a schematic diagram of the state of the key structure of the keyboard device shown in FIG. 5 when the key cap is not pressed.

FIG. 9B is a schematic diagram of the state after the key cap of the key structure of the keyboard device shown in FIG. 5 is pressed.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart of a preferred method for manufacturing the key frame of the keyboard device of the present invention.

FIG. 11A is a conceptual diagram of the first step of the method shown in FIG. 10 .

FIG. 11B is a conceptual diagram of the second step of the method shown in FIG. 10 .

FIG. 11C is a conceptual schematic diagram of the third step of the method shown in FIG. 10 .

FIG. 12 is a structural schematic diagram of the key structure and key frame of the keyboard device of the present invention in a second preferred embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of the keycap of the key structure of the keyboard device shown in FIG. 12 after being pressed.

【Symbol Description】

1 keyboard unit 2 keyboard unit

7 single substrate 8 fingers

9 fingers 10 buttons

11 button bottom plate 12 film circuit board

13 key box 20 keys

21 button bottom plate 22 film circuit board

23 key frames 101 key caps

102 scissors connection element 103 elastomer

121 Membrane switch 131 Accommodating hole

132 Shell 201 Keycap

202 Connecting element 203 Elastomer

221 membrane switch 222 upper membrane

223 lower film 224 middle film

231 Accommodating hole 232 Housing

1021 First frame 1022 Second frame

Frame 1 in 2021 Frame 2 in 2022

2221 first circuit pattern 2231 second circuit pattern

2222 upper contact 2232 lower contact

2241 contact hole 2321 first substrate layer

2322 second substrate layer 2322'second substrate layer

2323 Laminating layer 23211 First perforation

23221 second perforation 23222 skirt

Detailed ways

Please refer to FIGS. 5 to 7. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the appearance structure of the keyboard device of the present invention in a first preferred embodiment. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a part of the structure of the keyboard device shown in FIG. 5. FIG. A three-dimensional exploded schematic diagram showing a partial structure of the keyboard device. For a clearer illustration, only part of the key frame, single key structure and related component structures are depicted in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 . The keyboard device 2 includes a plurality of key structures 20, a key base plate 21, a thin film circuit board 22, and a key frame 23. The plurality of key structures 20 can be classified into general keys, number keys, and function keys, etc. The finger touches the keyboard device 2 to generate corresponding key signals to the computer, thereby enabling the computer to perform corresponding functions. For example, the general keys are used to input symbols such as English letters, the numeric keys are used to input numbers, and the function keys are used to input numbers. Provide various shortcut functions, such as F1~F12, etc.

Furthermore, please refer to FIG. 8 , which is an exploded perspective view of the thin film circuit board of the keyboard device shown in FIG. 5 . The thin film wiring board 22 includes a plurality of thin films stacked on each other. In this preferred embodiment, the multiple films include an upper film 222 and a lower film 223, the lower surface of the upper film 222 has a first circuit pattern 2221, and the first circuit pattern 2221 has a corresponding to the plurality of button structures 20 respectively. A plurality of upper contacts 2222, and the upper surface of the lower film 223 has a second circuit pattern 2231, and the second circuit pattern 2231 has a plurality of lower contacts 2232 respectively corresponding to the plurality of upper contacts 2222; wherein, each upper contact 2222 There is a distance between the corresponding lower contacts 2232 , and form a membrane switch 221 together with the corresponding lower contacts 2232 . In order to make each upper contact 2222 and its corresponding lower contact 2232 have a spacing distance, the thin film circuit board 22 also includes a middle film 224, which is arranged between the upper film 222 and the lower film 223, and the middle film 224 has respectively The plurality of contact openings 2241 correspond to the plurality of upper contacts 2222 and the plurality of lower contacts 2232 . Preferably, but not limited thereto, any one of the upper film 222, the lower film 223 and the middle film 224 can be made of polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), It is made of acrylic plastic (PMMA) material, polyurethane (Polyurethane, PU) material or polyimide (Polyimide, PI) material.

In addition, each key structure 20 includes a key cap 201, a connecting element 202 and an elastic body 203, and the connecting element 202 is connected between the key cap 201 and the key bottom plate 21, so that the key cap 201 can move up and down relative to the key bottom plate 21 , and the elastic body 203 is disposed between the key cap 201 and the key base plate 21, and has a top (not shown). In this preferred embodiment, the connecting element 202 is a scissors-type connecting element, and includes a first frame 2021 and a second frame 2022 pivotally connected to the first frame 2021, so the first frame 2021 and the second frame 2022 can be opposite to each other swing.

When the key cap 201 of any key structure 20 is pressed and moves downward relative to the key base plate 21, the first frame 2021 and the second frame 2022 of the connecting element 202 will change from the open state to the folded state, and The keycap 201 moving downward will squeeze the elastic body 203, so that the abutting portion of the elastic body 203 will abut against and trigger the corresponding upper contact 2222, and then make the corresponding upper contact 2222 go through the corresponding contact opening 2241. Contacting the corresponding lower contact 2232 makes the corresponding membrane switch 221 achieve electrical conduction, so that the keyboard device 2 generates a corresponding key signal. And when the key cap 201 of the key structure 20 is no longer pressed, the key cap 201 will move upward relative to the key bottom plate 21 in response to the elastic force of the elastic body 203, and at this time the first frame 2021 and the second frame 2022 will be formed by The folded state is changed to the folded state, and the keycap 201 will return to its original position. However, the above is only an implementation manner, and does not limit the connection relationship between the connection element 202 , the key base plate 21 and the keycap 201 in this application.

Moreover, the key frame 23 is disposed above the thin film circuit board 22, and has a housing 232 and a plurality of accommodating holes 231 corresponding to the plurality of key structures 20 and longitudinally penetrating the housing 232, and each accommodating hole 231 The keycap 201 of the corresponding key structure 20 is used to move therein. For a specific purpose, for example, in order to allow a notebook computer (not shown) using the keyboard device 2 to have a thinner profile when carried, and to allow the keycap 201 to have a larger travel range for the user to operate. To bring users a better operating feel, the keyboard device 2 will be designed so that the keycap 201 can rise or fall in response to the movement of the key frame 23, but the movement of the key frame 23 makes the key cap 201 rise or fall. Known by those skilled in the art, it will not be repeated here.

In addition, the housing 232 of the key frame 23 has a first base material layer 2321, a second base material layer 2322, and a bonding layer 2323 between the first base material layer 2321 and the second base material layer 2322 stacked vertically, and The second base material layer 2322 is combined with the first base material layer 2321 through the bonding layer 2323; wherein, the first base material layer 2321 and the second base material layer 2322 are respectively made of the first material and the second material, Moreover, the hardness of the second material is smaller than that of the first material. The benefits of such a design are illustrated in FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B .

Please refer to FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B. FIG. 9A is a schematic diagram of the state when the keycap of the key structure of the keyboard device shown in FIG. A schematic diagram of the state after being pressed, and for a clearer illustration, only part of the key structure and key frame are drawn in FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B . 9A and 9B show that when the key cap 201 of the key structure 20 of the keyboard device 2 is pressed, the upper surface of the key cap 20 will be lower than the upper surface of the second base material layer 2322 of the key frame 23, although at this time The second base material layer 2322 may interfere with the finger 8 touching the keycap 201, but because the second base material layer 2322 is a soft material that can deform with pressure, it can greatly reduce the impact of sharp corners To the operation of the finger 8, it is shown as the circle mark in Fig. 9B.

Preferably, but not limited thereto, the first material is plastic material or metal material with higher hardness, such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS) or aluminum material currently used to make key frames , and the second material can be leather material or foam material. Among them, the advantage of using leather material is that, in addition to reducing the degree of interference when the finger 8 operates the keycap 201 as described above, it can also bring colored patterns to the second base material layer 2322, such as pattern effects, which are useful. Different from the existing key frame which only has a single-color texture, it can improve the aesthetic effect and is also conducive to the identification of the key cap 201 .

Next, the manufacturing method of the key frame of the keyboard device of the present invention will be described. Please refer to FIG. 10 , which is a flow chart of a preferred method of manufacturing the key frame of the keyboard device of the present invention. Firstly, the first substrate layer 2321 of the casing 232 is formed by an injection process; wherein, the first substrate layer 2321 includes a plurality of first through holes 23211 respectively corresponding to the plurality of accommodating holes 231, as shown in FIG. 11A ; Then, the monolithic substrate 7 made of the second material is combined with the first substrate layer 2321 through the bonding layer 2323, as shown in FIG. 11B ; finally, a cutting process is performed on the monolithic substrate 7 A plurality of second through holes 23221 corresponding to the plurality of accommodating holes 231 are cut out to form the second base material layer 2322 of the housing 232; wherein, any second through hole 23221 is connected with the corresponding first through hole 23211 That is, any second through hole 23221 and the corresponding first through hole 23211 together form a corresponding receiving hole 231, as shown in FIG. 11C.

Preferably, but not limited thereto, the above-mentioned cutting process can be a beam cutting process, which utilizes a high-energy beam, such as a laser, to cut the single substrate 7 . In particular, the advantage of first combining the monolithic substrate 7 with the first substrate layer 2321 and then cutting out a plurality of second perforations 23221 from the monolithic substrate 7 is that the second substrate layer can be reduced in size. The process of aligning the plurality of second through holes 23221 of 2322 with the plurality of first through holes 23211 of the first substrate layer 2321 .

Please refer to FIG. 12 , which is a structural schematic diagram of the key structure and key frame of the keyboard device in a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. For a clearer illustration, only part of the key structure and key frame are drawn in FIG. 11 . Wherein, the keyboard device of this preferred embodiment is roughly similar to that described in the first preferred embodiment of this application, and will not be repeated here. The difference between this preferred embodiment and the aforementioned first preferred embodiment is that the second base material layer 2322' has a skirt 23222 extending downward, so the second base material layer 2322' can pass through the edge of the skirt 23222. The opening is sleeved on the first base material layer 2321 from top to bottom, and the second base material layer 2322 ′ sleeved behind the first base material layer 2321 is still fixed to the first base material layer 2321 through the bonding layer 2323 superior.

Please refer to FIG. 13 , which is a schematic view of the keycap of the key structure of the keyboard device shown in FIG. 12 after being pressed. When the keycap 201 is pressed, the upper surface of the keycap 201 will be lower than the second substrate. layer 2322', although the second base material layer 2322' will interfere with the finger 8 touching the keycap 201 at this time, since the second base material layer 2322' can deform with pressure The soft material can greatly reduce the impact of sharp corners on the operation of the finger 8 .

The above descriptions are only preferred embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the claims of the present invention. Therefore, all other equivalent changes or modifications that do not deviate from the disclosed spirit of the present invention should be included in the scope of this case. within the claims.

Claims (18)

1. A keyboard device, characterized in that, comprising: A thin film circuit board with a membrane switch; A key frame is arranged above the thin film circuit board, and includes a casing and an accommodating hole longitudinally penetrating the casing; wherein, the casing has a first base material layer and a second base material layer stacked longitudinally. material layer and a bonding layer between the first substrate layer and the second substrate layer, and the second substrate layer is combined with the first substrate layer through the bonding layer; and A button structure corresponds to the membrane switch and includes a keycap, and the keycap is used to be pressed to move in the accommodating hole. 2. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein when the keycap is pressed to make the key structure abut against the membrane switch, an upper surface of the keycap is lower than an upper surface of the second substrate layer surface. 3. The keyboard device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the key cap rises or falls according to the movement of the key frame. 4. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein the first base material layer and the second base material layer are respectively made of a first material and a second material, and the hardness of the second material is less than that of the The hardness of the first material. 5. The keyboard device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the second material is a skin material or a foam material. 6. The keyboard device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first material is plastic or metal. 7. The keyboard device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second substrate layer comprises at least one colored pattern. 8. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein the second base material layer comprises a skirt extending downward, and the second base material layer is sleeved on the first base material layer through the skirt . 9. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein the thin film circuit board comprises an upper film and a lower film, and the upper film is provided with a first circuit pattern, and the lower film is provided with a second circuit pattern; Wherein, the first circuit pattern and the second circuit pattern respectively have an upper contact and a lower contact, and there is a distance between the upper contact and the lower contact to jointly form the membrane switch. 10. The keyboard device according to claim 1, further comprising a key base, and the key structure further comprises a connecting element, and the connecting element is connected between the key base and the key cap, so that the key cap is opposite to each other. Move up and down on the button base. 11. The keyboard device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the connection element is a scissors type connection element, and comprises a first frame and a second frame pivotally connected to the first frame. 12. A method for manufacturing a key frame of a keyboard device, used to manufacture a key frame of a keyboard device, the key frame includes a housing and a plurality of accommodating holes, and the plurality of accommodating holes are used for the A plurality of key caps of the keyboard device are movable therein, and the manufacturing method of the key frame includes: A first base material layer of the housing is formed by an injection process; wherein the first base material layer is made of a first material and includes a plurality of first through holes respectively corresponding to the plurality of accommodating holes ; bonding a monolithic substrate made of a second material to the first substrate layer via an adhesive layer; and Cutting out a plurality of second through holes respectively corresponding to the plurality of accommodating holes on the single base material by a cutting process to form a second base material layer of the housing; wherein, any of the second through holes communicate with the corresponding first through hole. 13. The manufacturing method of the key frame of the keyboard device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the cutting process is a beam cutting process. 14. The manufacturing method of the key frame of the keyboard device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the hardness of the first material is greater than that of the second material. 15. The manufacturing method of the key frame of the keyboard device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the second material is a skin material or a foam material. 16. The manufacturing method of the key frame of the keyboard device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the first material is plastic material. 17. The method for manufacturing a key frame of a keyboard device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the second substrate layer comprises at least one colored pattern. 18. The method for manufacturing a key frame of a keyboard device as claimed in claim 12, wherein at least one key cap of the plurality of key caps rises or falls due to the movement of the key frame.