CN110875155A - Keyboard structure and method of making the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a keyboard structure and a manufacturing method thereof, wherein the keyboard structure comprises: a bottom plate, a soft protective cover and a frame. Wherein, the bottom plate has a plurality of buttons, and the button has the key cap respectively. The soft protective cover is arranged above the bottom plate and covers the keys arranged on the bottom plate. The frame is arranged on the soft protective cover and is provided with a first surface, an opposite second surface and a plurality of openings penetrating through the first surface and the second surface, the openings correspond to the hollow convex structures, and the second surface is provided with a concave part annularly arranged on the periphery of each opening. The hollow convex structure part of the soft protective cover passes through the opening of the frame and is exposed outside the frame, and the elastic buffer part of the hollow convex structure is positioned in the concave part of the frame and is covered by the frame.

Description

Keyboard structure and method of making the same

technical field

The invention relates to a structure of an input device, in particular to a keyboard structure with a soft protective cover.

Background technique

In today's society, the use of electronic devices has become an indispensable part of life, such as food, clothing, housing, transportation, education, and entertainment, all of which are related to electronic devices. Generally speaking, consumer electronic devices are equipped with keyboard structures.

Since electronic devices are inseparable from people's lives, if the user is not careful, they may splash drinks or water on the surface of the electronic device, so that the drinks or water may leak from the gap between the keys and the housing. Infiltrate into the electronic device, thereby causing damage to the electronic device. In addition, dust in the air may also enter from the gap between the key and the casing, thereby affecting the operation of the electronic device.

In order to prevent moisture or dust from entering the electronic device, in the prior art, such as in Taiwan Patent Publication No. TWI559176, an input device with a soft protective cover is proposed, and the soft protective cover is used to cover the keys Structure to prevent foreign matter from penetrating into the key structure. However, the elastic buffer structure of the aforementioned soft protective cover, for example, the connecting portion or the sheet-like body is exposed on the interface for key operation, and the elastic buffer structure of the soft protective cover is easily broken or damaged when the keyboard is frequently pressed. , so that the soft protective cover loses its waterproof and dustproof effects, and also makes the keyboard covered by the soft protective cover lose its good pressing feel. In addition, because the material of the soft protective cover is usually different from that of the keycap, it is difficult for the soft protective cover to fully fit the surface of the keycap. It may affect the pressing feel of the keyboard.

Therefore, how to provide a keyboard structure that can avoid damage to the elastic buffer structure of the soft protective cover, and at the same time improve the fit between the soft protective cover and the keys of the keyboard structure, is the technical subject to be solved by the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a keyboard structure that can avoid damage to the elastic buffer structure of the soft protective cover, and can simultaneously improve the fit between the soft protective cover and the keys.

In order to achieve the aforementioned purpose, the present invention provides a keyboard structure, comprising: a bottom plate, a flexible protective cover and a frame. The bottom plate has a plurality of keys, and the keys are respectively provided with key caps; the soft protective cover is arranged above the bottom plate, and includes a sheet-shaped main body and a plurality of hollow protruding structures. The sheet-like body is used to be combined on the bottom plate; and a plurality of hollow protruding structures are formed on the sheet-like body and are used to cover the keys, the hollow protruding structures respectively have a top portion and a connected side wall portion, and the side wall portion has elasticity a buffer part; and a frame disposed on the soft protective cover, having a first surface, an opposite second surface and a plurality of openings penetrating the first surface and the second surface, the openings correspond to the hollow protruding structure, and the second surface It has a concave part that is arranged around the circumference of each opening; wherein, the second surface is used to combine on the sheet-like body, so that each hollow protruding structure part passes through each opening and is exposed outside the frame, and the elastic buffer part is located in the concave part. covered by the frame.

In the above-mentioned preferred embodiment, the soft protective cover further includes a plurality of top covers, each of which is embedded in the lower surface of the top and used to combine the key caps.

In the above preferred embodiment, the top cover is made of plastic, stainless steel, tungsten steel, aluminum or tinplate.

In the above preferred embodiment, the colloid layer is formed between each top cover and the keycap, and the colloid layer is used for bonding each top cover and the keycap.

In the above preferred embodiment, the material of the soft protective cover is rubber or silicone.

In the above preferred embodiment, the bottom plate includes a support plate and a thin film circuit board disposed on the support plate.

In the above preferred embodiment, each of the keys has a support assembly for connecting the keycap and the support plate.

The present invention also provides a method for making a keyboard structure, comprising the following steps:

(a) Provide a soft protective cover, the soft protective cover includes: a sheet-like body; a plurality of hollow protruding structures formed on the sheet-like body, each hollow protruding structure has a top and a connected side wall, the side wall The upper part has an elastic buffer part, and the lower surface of the top part has an embedded top cover;

(b). Provide a base plate, the base plate includes a plurality of keys, and each key has a key cap;

(c). The soft protective cover is arranged above the bottom plate, so that the hollow protruding structure covers the keys, and the top cover is combined with the key caps;

(d) providing a frame, the frame has a first surface, an opposite second surface, and a plurality of openings penetrating the first surface and the second surface, the openings correspond to the hollow protruding structures, and the second surface has a ring disposed around each opening a circumferential recess; and

(d). The frame is arranged on the soft protective cover, so that each hollow protruding structure part is exposed outside the frame through each opening, and the elastic buffer part is located in the concave part and is covered by the frame.

In the above preferred embodiment, in step (c), a colloid layer is formed between the top cover and the keycap to bond the top cover and the keycap.

In the above preferred embodiment, wherein in step (d), the second surface is bonded on the sheet-like body.

As can be seen from the above technical solutions, the advantages and positive effects of the present invention are:

The keyboard structure provided by the present invention can use the frame to cover the elastic buffer portion of the soft protective cover, so as to avoid the rupture or damage of the elastic buffer portion caused by frequent pressing. The top cover of the hollow protruding structure is combined with the key cap to improve the fit between the soft protective cover and the key.

Description of drawings

Fig. 1 is the perspective exploded view of the keyboard structure of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is the sectional view of the keyboard structure of the present invention; And

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of a method for making a keyboard structure of the present invention.

The reference numbers are as follows:

G colloid layer

1 Keyboard structure

10 Bottom plate

101 Support plate

102 Thin Film Circuit Board

11 keys

111 keycaps

112 Support components

20 Soft cover

21 sheet body

22 Hollow protruding structure

221 top

222 Side wall

2221 Elastic buffer

23 Top cover

30 frames

301 First surface

302 Second surface

3021 Recess

31 opening

Detailed ways

The advantages and features of the present invention and the methods for achieving the same will be better understood from the more detailed description with reference to the exemplary embodiments and the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention may be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those of ordinary skill in the art.

First, please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the keyboard structure of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the keyboard structure of the present invention. In FIG. 1 , the keyboard structure 1 of the present invention includes, from bottom to top, a bottom plate 10 , a flexible protective cover 20 and a frame 30 in sequence. The bottom plate 10 is provided with a plurality of keys 11 , and each key 11 has a key cap 111 ; the soft protective cover 20 has a sheet-like body 21 and a plurality of hollow protruding structures formed on the sheet-like body 21 22. The hollow protruding structures 22 are arranged corresponding to the position and number of the buttons 11, and each hollow protruding structure 22 has a ring-shaped elastic buffer portion 2221, so that the hollow protruding structure 22 has a better deformation distance when it is bent and deformed. . The frame 30 has a first surface 301 , an opposite second surface 302 , and a plurality of openings 31 penetrating the first surface 301 and the second surface 302 , and the openings 31 are arranged corresponding to the positions and numbers of the hollow protruding structures 22 . . The second surface 302 of the frame 30 has a concave portion 3021 surrounding each opening 31 , and the concave portion 3021 corresponds to the location of the elastic buffer portion 2221 of the hollow protruding structure 22 . In this embodiment, the soft protective cover 20 can be made of elastic and deformable materials such as rubber or silicone, so that when the user presses the button 11 through the soft protective cover 20 , the soft protective cover 20 has better tactile and pressing feel. .

Please continue to refer to FIG. 2 . In FIG. 2 , the bottom plate 10 includes a support board 101 and a thin film circuit board 102 disposed on the support board 101 . The thin film circuit board 120 has key switches (not shown in the figure) corresponding to the keys 11 and is used for outputting corresponding key signals, and the support plate 101 is used for supporting the entire keyboard structure 1 . The key 11 includes: a key cap 111 and a support element 112 , wherein one end of the support element 112 is pivotally connected to the key cap 111 , and the opposite end is pivotally connected to the support plate 101 , so that it can be driven and guided by the support element 112 The keycap 111 moves downward and upward relative to the base plate 10 . Although the present invention only proposes an embodiment in which the support assembly 112 is a scissor foot structure, in practical application, it can also be replaced with other support assemblies with similar functions, such as V-shaped, A-shaped or two parallel link structures, instead of It is limited to the embodiments proposed by the present invention.

The flexible protective cover 20 is disposed above the bottom plate 10 , and the sheet-like body 21 of the flexible protective cover 20 can be combined with the thin film circuit board 102 of the bottom plate 10 by means of adhesive. The hollow protruding structure 22 is used to cover the button 11 , and the hollow protruding structure 22 has a top 221 and a side wall 222 connected with the top 221 respectively. The side wall 22 is connected with the sheet-like body 21 , and the side wall 22 A bent elastic buffer portion 2221 is provided at the contact with the sheet-like body 21 . On the other hand, each of the hollow protruding structures 22 of the soft protective cover 20 has a top cover 23 , and the top cover 23 is manufactured by insert molding, so that the top cover 23 can be embedded in the lower surface of the top cover 221 . , the material of the top cover 23 can be: plastic, stainless steel, tungsten steel, aluminum or tinplate. In this embodiment, the colloidal layer G can be arranged between the top cover 23 and the keycap 111 , for example, the colloidal layer G can be arranged on all or part of the surface of the top cover 23 or the keycap 111 to utilize the colloidal layer G Adhesion of the top cover 23 and the keycap 111, further, concave-convex patterns (not shown in the figure) can also be formed on the surface where the top cover 23 or the keycap 111 are bonded, so as to improve the adhesive force of the colloid layer G, The colloid layer G can be water glue, sheet glue or other adhesives that can be used for bonding. In this way, the hollow protruding structure 22 of the soft protective cover 20 can be completely combined with the key cap 111 through the top cover 23 , so that when the user presses the key 11 through the soft protective cover 20 , the user has a better pressing force. feel. Although the present invention only proposes an embodiment in which the top cover 23 and the keycap 111 are bonded by the colloidal layer G, in practical application, the top cover 23 and the keycap 111 can also be combined by snapping and snapping, instead of the present invention. The proposed implementation is limited.

The frame 30 is disposed on the flexible protective cover 20 , and each hollow protruding structure 22 partially passes through the opening 31 of the frame 30 and can be exposed outside the frame 30 . Then, it can be thermally fused or locked by screws. The second surface 302 of the frame 30 is combined on the sheet-like body 21, and the elastic buffer portion 2221 is maintained in the recess 3021, so that the elastic buffer portion 2221 can be covered by the frame 30, so that when the user presses the keyboard structure 1, Therefore, the elastic buffer portion 2221 of the soft protective cover 20 cannot be touched, and the probability of rupture or damage of the elastic buffer portion 2221 can be reduced. In addition, the present invention can also change the visual effect of the keyboard structure 1 by forming the frame 30 with different colors or patterns.

Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 together. FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a keyboard structure of the present invention. First, a soft protective cover 20 is provided. The soft protective cover 20 includes a sheet-like main body 21 and a hollow protruding structure 22. The hollow protruding structure 22 is formed on the sheet-like main body 21, and each hollow protruding structure 22 has a top 221 and The side wall portions 222 are connected, and the side wall portions 222 have elastic buffer portions 2221; the lower surface of the top portion 221 has a top cover 23 embedded in the top portion 221 (as shown in FIG. 3(i)).

Next, a base plate 10 is provided. The base plate 10 includes a plurality of keys 11 , and each key 11 has a key cap 111 and a support assembly 112 connecting the key cap 111 and the base plate 10 . Then, the soft protective cover 20 is placed above the bottom plate 10 , so that the hollow protruding structure 22 covers the keys 11 , and a glue layer G can be arranged between the top cover 23 and the key caps 111 to bond the top cover 23 and the key caps 111 (as shown in (ii) of Figure 3).

Next, a frame 30 is provided, the frame 30 has a first surface 301 , an opposite second surface 302 , and a plurality of openings 31 extending through the first surface 301 and the second surface 302 . The openings 31 correspond to the hollow protruding structures 22 , and the second surface 302 of the frame 30 has a concave portion 3021 extending around the openings 31 . Finally, the frame 30 is set on the soft protective cover 20, so that the hollow protruding structures 22 are partially exposed through the openings 31 to be exposed outside the frame 30, and the frame 30 can be thermally fused or locked by screws. The second surface 302 of the second surface 302 is combined with the sheet-like body 21 , and the elastic buffer portion 2221 is located in the concave portion 3021 and can be covered by the frame 30 (as shown in (iii) of FIG. 3 ).

Compared with the prior art, the keyboard structure provided by the present invention can use the frame to cover the elastic buffer portion of the soft protective cover, so as to avoid the rupture or damage of the elastic buffer portion caused by frequent pressing. The combination of the top cover of the hollow protruding structure of the soft protective cover and the key cap can improve the fit between the soft protective cover and the key; therefore, the present invention is a creation with great industrial value.

The present invention can be modified in various ways by those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the intended protection of the appended claims.

Claims (10)

1. A keyboard structure, comprising: a bottom plate with a plurality of keys, and the plurality of keys respectively have a key cap; A soft protective cover, arranged above the bottom plate, includes: a sheet-like body for bonding on the base plate; and A plurality of hollow protruding structures are formed on the sheet-like body and used to cover the plurality of keys, the plurality of hollow protruding structures respectively have a top and a connected side wall portion, and the side wall portion has a an elastic buffer; and a frame, disposed on the flexible protective cover, having a first surface, an opposite second surface, and a plurality of openings penetrating the first surface and the second surface, the plurality of openings corresponding to the a plurality of hollow protruding structures, and the second surface has a concave portion arranged around the circumference of each opening; Wherein, the second surface is used for bonding on the sheet-like main body, so that each of the hollow protruding structure parts is exposed outside the frame through each of the openings, and the elastic buffer part is located in the concave part and is held by the frame cover. 2 . The keyboard structure of claim 1 , wherein the soft protective cover further comprises a plurality of top covers, each of the top covers is embedded in the lower surface of the top and used to combine the keycaps. 3 . 3. The keyboard structure according to claim 2, wherein the material of the plurality of top covers is: plastic, stainless steel, tungsten steel, aluminum or tinplate. 4 . The keyboard structure of claim 2 , wherein a gel layer is formed between each of the top covers and the key caps, and the gel layer is used for bonding each of the top covers and the key caps. 5 . 5. The keyboard structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the material of the soft protective cover is rubber or silicone. 6. The keyboard structure of claim 1, wherein the bottom plate comprises a support plate and a thin film circuit board disposed on the support plate. 7 . The keyboard structure of claim 6 , wherein each of the keys has a support element for connecting the key cap and the support plate. 8 . 8. A method for making a keyboard structure, comprising the following steps: (a) Provide a soft protective cover, the soft protective cover includes: a sheet-like body; a plurality of hollow protruding structures formed on the sheet-like body, each of the hollow protruding structures having a top and a connected a side wall portion, the side wall portion has an elastic buffer portion, and the lower surface of the top has a top cover embedded; (b). Provide a base plate, the base plate includes a plurality of keys, each of the keys has a key cap; (c) disposing the soft protective cover above the bottom plate, so that the plurality of hollow protruding structures cover the plurality of keys, and the top cover is combined with the keycap; (d) providing a frame having a first surface, an opposite second surface and a plurality of openings penetrating the first surface and the second surface, the plurality of openings corresponding to the plurality of hollows a protruding structure, and the second surface has a concave portion arranged around the circumference of each of the openings; and (d). Set the frame on the soft protective cover, so that each of the hollow protruding structures is exposed outside the frame through each of the openings, and the elastic buffer portion is located in the concave portion and covered by the frame . 9 . The method of manufacturing a keyboard structure as claimed in claim 8 , wherein in the step (c), a colloidal layer is formed between the top cover and the keycap to bond the top cover and the keycap. 10 . 10 . The method of manufacturing a keyboard structure as claimed in claim 8 , wherein in the step (d), the second surface is bonded to the sheet-like body. 11 .

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