JP5595124B2 - Key switch device and keyboard - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a key switch device and a keyboard.

  In a keyboard or the like having a sheet-like membrane switch, the dome-shaped rubber member is elastically deformed by a key-top keystroke operation, and the membrane switch is pressed by a convex pressing portion provided at the center of the top of the rubber member. A key switch device in which a contact portion is closed is known (for example, see Patent Document 1). In this type of key switch device, the rubber member is elastically deformed in a buckling manner, so that an elastic urging force that corresponds non-linearly to the amount of pressing displacement of the key top acts on the key top. Operability is obtained.

JP 2000-347789 A

  However, in the device described in Patent Document 1, since the pressing portion is provided at the center of the top portion of the rubber member, the contact portion is closed when the pressing force of the key top is further increased after the pressing portion contacts the membrane switch. Therefore, it is difficult to open and close the contact portion with good timing.

The key switch device according to the present invention includes an operation member that is pressed downward, a membrane switch that is disposed below the operation member, and an elastic buckling deformation with respect to the operation member. an elastic member for applying a repulsive force corresponding to the deformation, relatively movable provided for the operating member, and a pressing member for adding an independent pressing force to the membrane switch and the operation force of the operation member, the operation member is characterized Rukoto that having a holding portion for holding the pressing member.
A keyboard according to the present invention is provided with a plurality of the above key switch devices.

  According to the present invention, since the pressing force independent of the operating force of the operating member is applied to the membrane switch, the switch contact can be opened and closed with good timing.

It is a perspective view showing the whole key switch device composition concerning an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 1. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of FIG. (A)-(d) is a figure which shows the operation | movement of the key switch apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention, respectively. (A) is a figure which shows the pushing down characteristic of the key switch apparatus concerning embodiment of this invention, (b) is the comparative example. It is a figure which shows the modification of FIG. It is a perspective view of the keyboard which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

  A key switch device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of a key switch device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the key switch device 100. A plurality of key switch devices 100 according to the present embodiment are arranged in a predetermined arrangement, for example, as described later, and constitute a keyboard 200 such as a desktop personal computer (see FIG. 7).

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the key switch device 100 includes a key top 10 that is pressed downward, and a dome rubber 30 that is disposed on the switch panel 20 and elastically buckles and deforms when the key top 10 is pressed. And a membrane switch 40 disposed below the switch panel 20 and a contact pressing member 50 for pressing the membrane switch 40.

  The key top 10 is formed by integral molding using resin as a constituent material, and has a substantially rectangular top portion 11 and side portions 12 extending downward from each side of the top portion 11 as shown in FIG. It has a generally box shape with an open bottom. Inside the key top 10, a slider 13 is press-fitted from the bottom surface of the key top 10, and the slider 13 operates integrally with the key top 10.

  The slider 13 is formed by integral molding using a resin as a constituent material, and has a double cylinder having an inner cylinder 14 extending in the vertical direction and an outer cylinder 15 disposed outside the inner cylinder 14 and extending in the vertical direction. It has a cylindrical structure. The inner cylinder 14 and the outer cylinder 15 are integrated via the top horizontal portion 16, and a space portion 17 (FIG. 3) having an open bottom is formed between the inner cylinder 14 and the outer cylinder 15. The inner cylinder 14 is longer than the outer cylinder 15, and the inner cylinder 14 projects downward from the lower end of the outer cylinder 15.

  The inner cylinder 14 and the outer cylinder 15 respectively have substantially rectangular side walls 14a, 15a on the four sides of the circumference, and the outer shapes of the inner cylinder 14 and the outer cylinder 15 have a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. A claw portion 14b protruding outward is provided at the bottom of the pair of side walls 14a facing each other of the inner cylinder 14. Cutouts are formed on both sides of the claw portion 14b of the side wall 14a, and the claw portion 14b can be elastically deformed inside and outside the side wall 14a via the cutout. Each side wall 15a of the outer cylinder 15 is provided with a pair of elongated protrusions 15b in the vertical direction, and the outer cylinder 15 is closely fitted to the key top 10 via the protrusions 15b.

  A through hole 19 having a substantially circular cross section is opened at the center of the inner cylinder 14 in the vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 3, a step portion 19a is provided on the peripheral wall of the through hole 19, and the opening area of the through hole 19 on the lower side of the step portion 19a is reduced. The inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 15 has a cylindrical shape, and a space portion 17 is formed between the inner cylinder 14 and the side wall 14a. A circular ring portion 18 is provided on the bottom surface of the outer cylinder 15, and the ring portion 18 protrudes in an arc shape outward from the bottom corner portion of the outer cylinder 15 in the horizontal direction.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the dome rubber 30 is a dome-shaped member that is integrally formed from a rubber material, and includes a ring-shaped base portion 31, a dome portion 32 that rises in a dome shape from the base portion 31, and a dome portion 32. And a cylindrical portion 33 extending upward from the top portion. The cylindrical portion 33 is press-fitted into the outer peripheral surface of the ring portion 18 of the slider 13 from below, and the ring portion 18 operates integrally with the cylindrical portion 33. In addition, without providing the ring part 18, the bottom part outer peripheral surface of the slider 13 can be formed into a circular shape, for example, and the cylindrical part 33 can be fitted to the bottom outer peripheral surface. In FIG. 3, the cylindrical portion 33 is fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the slider 13 without providing the ring portion 18.

  The switch panel 20 is a plate member that supports the slider 13 and the dome rubber 30, and includes a plate portion 21 and a guide 22 that stands upward from the plate portion 21. A through-hole 23 having a substantially rectangular cross section is opened at the center of the guide 22 corresponding to the inner cylinder 14 of the slider 13. As shown in FIG. 3, a step portion 24 is formed on the inner wall of the guide 22, and the opening area of the through hole 23 on the lower side of the step portion 24 is enlarged. The inner cylinder 14 of the slider 13 is press-fitted into the through-hole 23 from above while compressing the claw portion 14 b inward, and the claw portion 14 b is engaged with the step portion 24, so that the slider 13 is locked to the guide 22. The In the state of FIG. 3, the lower space of the claw portion 14 b is open, and the slider 13 can be further lowered along the guide 22.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the membrane switch 40 is arranged between a pair of contact substrates 41 arranged vertically opposite to each other, a pair of sheet substrates 42 each carrying the pair of contacts 41, and the pair of sheet substrates 42. And a spacer (not shown) that holds the contacts 41 in an open state by separating the sheet substrates from each other by a predetermined distance. Each sheet substrate 42 has a configuration of a known flexible printed circuit board, and contacts 41 that can be short-circuited to each other are provided on the surface of the film substrate. The contact 41 is disposed below the through hole 23 of the switch panel 20 and is closed when a predetermined pressing force is applied. The sheet substrate 42 is disposed on the support panel 43 and is fixed to the support panel 43 with screws or the like (not shown).

  The contact pressing member 50 is an elongated bar-like member in the vertical direction, and has a columnar large-diameter portion 51 and a columnar small-diameter portion 52 whose lower end portion is formed in an arc shape. The contact pressing member 50 is made of, for example, a metal having a relatively high density, and the force due to its own weight is larger than the pressing force required to close the contact 41. As shown in FIG. 3, the contact pressing member 50 is inserted into the through hole 19 of the slider 13 from above. At this time, the lower end surface of the large diameter portion 51 abuts on the step portion 19 a of the inner cylinder 14, and the contact pressing member 50 is held by the slider 13. In this state, the lower end portion of the contact pressing member 50 protrudes from the lower end surface of the slider inner cylinder 14 by a predetermined length, and the large diameter portion 51 can slide in the through hole 19 in the vertical direction above the step portion 19a. is there.

  The main operation of the key switch device 100 configured as described above will be described. In the initial state before the key-pressing operation of the key top 10, as shown in FIG. 4A, the key top 10 is held at the upper position (initial position) by the dome rubber 30, and the lower end surface of the contact pressing member 50 is The slider 13 is locked with a predetermined distance L from the surface of the membrane switch 40. In this state, the contact pressing member 50 can move upward along the inner cylinder 14 of the slider 13. However, since the upper portion of the slider 13 is covered with the key top 10, the key switch 100 is turned upside down. However, the key top 50 can be prevented from falling off.

  When the key pressing operation of the key top 10 is started, the dome portion 32 of the dome rubber 30 is elastically deformed by the pressing force F of the key top 10 as shown in FIG. 4B, and the slider 13 follows the guide 11 of the switch panel 20. Move down. At this time, the contact pressing member 50 also moves downward together with the slider 13, and the lower end portion of the contact pressing member 50 contacts the upper surface of the switch panel 40.

  When the key top 10 is further pressed down by the pressing force F, the slider 13 moves downward while the contact pressing member 50 is in contact with the surface of the switch panel 40 as shown in FIG. The lower end surface of the portion 51 is separated from the step portion 19 a of the slider 13. At this time, the weight of the contact pressing member 50 acts on the membrane switch 40, and the contact 41 of the membrane switch 40 is pressed by this weight, and the contact 41 is closed.

  When the key top 10 is further pushed down from this state by the push-down force F, the slider 13 moves downward, but the contact pressing member 50 remains in contact with the surface of the membrane switch 40, and the contact 41 is closed (ON state). ) Is continued. In the state where the key top 10 is pushed down to the maximum, the lower end of the cylindrical portion 33 of the dome rubber 30 abuts on the upper surface of the switch panel 20 as shown in FIG. 4D, and the downward movement of the slider 13 is restricted. . At this time, there is a gap between the lower end portion of the slider inner cylinder 14 and the switch panel 40, and contact between the slider 13 and the switch panel 40 during a keystroke operation is prevented.

  Thereafter, when the pressing operation of the key top 10 is stopped, the slider 13 is pushed back upward by the restoring force of the dome rubber 30. When the stepped portion 19 a comes into contact with the lower end surface of the large-diameter portion 51 of the contact pressing member 50 due to the upward movement of the slider 13, the contact pressing member 50 is engaged with the slider 13 and pushed up. As a result, the contact pressing member 50 is separated from the membrane switch 40 and the contact 41 is opened (off). At this time, as shown in FIG. 4A, the claw portion 14b at the lower end of the slider 13 is engaged with the step portion 24 inside the guide 22 of the switch panel 20, so that the upward movement of the slider 13 is restricted. The

  The relationship between the stroke S (pressing amount) of the key top 10 and the operating force (pressing force) F during the above keystroke operation will be described. FIG. 5A is a diagram showing the push-down characteristic of the key switch device 100 according to the present embodiment, that is, the characteristic when the contact pressing member 50 is used so as to be movable relative to the dome rubber 30. FIG. 5B is a comparative example of the present embodiment. 5A and 5B, the horizontal axis indicates the stroke S, the vertical axis indicates the operating force F, and the contact-on point a is also shown.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, when the operating force F of the key top 10 increases, the stroke S increases accordingly. At this time, the dome rubber 30 is elastically deformed, and a reaction force from the dome rubber 30 acts on the key top 10. The push-down characteristic in this case is equal to the load displacement characteristic of the dome rubber 30 itself. When the load acting on the dome rubber 30 reaches the buckling load of the dome rubber 30, the operating force F increases, and when the buckling load is reached. Thereafter, the operating force F gradually decreases as the stroke S increases. By obtaining the peak operation force F0 by the elastic buckling deformation of the dome rubber 30, the user can obtain a click feeling peculiar to the keystroke operation.

  In this case, the stroke S1 when the contact is ON corresponds to the initial length L (FIG. 4A) between the lower end of the contact pressing member 50 and the membrane switch 40. This length L can be set by adjusting the length of the small diameter portion 52 of the contact pressing member 50 or the position of the step portion 19 a on the inner peripheral surface of the slider 13. Thereby, the stroke S1 of the key top 10 when the contact is on can be arbitrarily set.

  In particular, in this embodiment, the stroke S1 is set to a value (for example, between S0 and S2) that is larger than the stroke S0 at which the peak operating force F0 is generated and smaller than the end stroke S2. Thereby, since the contact 41 is turned on in the region where the operation force F is reduced after the user obtains a click feeling, the user's sense of operation and the on-operation of the contact 41 can be well matched, and the operability of the key switch is improved. .

  FIG. 5B shows characteristics when the contact pressing portion is provided integrally with the dome rubber. That is, although not shown in the figure, for example, it is a characteristic when a dome rubber having a closed top portion is used and a contact pressing portion is protruded downward from the top portion. In this case, when the operating force F of the key top 10 increases, the stroke S also increases accordingly, and when the load acting on the dome rubber reaches the buckling load, the operating force F becomes the maximum F1. Thereafter, the operating force F decreases, and when the contact pressing part comes into contact with the membrane switch in the stroke S3, the operating force F increases again.

  At this time, the contact of the membrane switch is turned on when a predetermined pressing force is applied after the contact pressing portion comes into contact with the membrane switch. Therefore, the stroke S1 when the contact is on is larger than the stroke S3 at which the operating force F becomes the minimum F3. For this reason, in order to turn on the contact, the user needs to operate the key until the operating force decreases after the peak operating force F0 is exceeded and the operating force increases again. However, since it is considered that the user normally operates the contact in the decreasing region of the operating force F after exceeding the peak operating force F0, if it is necessary to perform the key operation to the increasing region of the operating force F, the operation feeling and the contact There is a discrepancy between the on-operation and the discomfort. In this respect, in the present embodiment, the contact point can be turned on in a region where the operating force F is reduced, so that the operation feeling and the contact point on operation correspond well, and there is no sense of incongruity.

According to the present embodiment, the following operational effects can be achieved.
(1) The slider 13 is provided integrally with the key top 10, and the contact pressing member 50 is provided so as to be movable relative to the slider 13. When the key top 10 is pressed, the contact is independent of the operation force. The pressing force due to the weight of the pressing member 50 is applied to the membrane switch 40. As a result, the contact point 41 can be turned on in the decreasing region of the operation force F after the peak operation force F0, and the contact point can be opened and closed with good timing.
(2) The slider 13 has a double cylinder structure having the inner cylinder 14 and the outer cylinder 15, the dome rubber 30 is press-fitted into the outer periphery of the outer cylinder 15, and the contact pressing member 50 is formed at the step portion 19 a inside the inner cylinder 14. To keep. As a result, the key switch device 100 can be configured compactly, and the contact pressing member 50 can be held away from the membrane switch 40 in the initial state.

(3) Since the contact pressing member 50 is inserted into the through hole 19 inside the inner cylinder 14 and the lower end portion of the contact pressing member 50 protrudes from the lower end surface of the inner cylinder 14, the contact pressing member 50 is held. The timing at which the pressing member 50 contacts the membrane switch 40 can be easily adjusted.
(4) Since the guide 22 of the switch panel 20 is inserted into the space 17 between the inner cylinder 14 and the outer cylinder 15, the slider 13 can be moved up and down along the guide 22 in the vertical direction. The pressing member 50 can be smoothly moved along the vertical through hole 19 of the slider 13.
(5) Since the claw portion 14b is provided at the lower end of the inner cylinder 14 and is engaged with the step portion 24 inside the guide 22, the upward movement of the slider 13 can be restricted.

  In the above embodiment, the pressing force is applied to the membrane switch 40 by the weight of the contact pressing member 50. However, the pressing force may be applied using not only the weight but also a magnetic force. For example, in FIG. 2, the contact pressing member 50 may be made of a magnet, and the support panel 43 may be made of a magnetic material such as iron. As a result, an attractive force by a magnet acts between the contact pressing member 50 and the support panel 43, so that the contact 41 of the membrane switch 40 can be reliably turned on without significantly increasing the weight of the contact pressing member 50. Further, since the contact pressing member 50 is held by the magnetic force, it is possible to prevent the contact pressing member 50 from bouncing when keys are continuously pressed, and stable key input is possible.

  Instead of using the contact pressing member 50 as a magnet and the support panel 43 as a magnetic body, the contact pressing member 50 is a magnetic body and the support panel 43 is a plate-shaped magnet, so that an attractive force is generated between the contact pressing member 50 and the support panel 43. May be generated. While the contact pressing member 50 and the support panel 43 are each made of a magnetic material, a magnet 44 may be attached to the support panel 43 as shown in FIG. Accordingly, since the entire support panel is magnetized and functions as a magnet, an attractive force can be generated between the contact pressing member 50 and the support panel 43. A magnet may be attached around the contact pressing member 50 so that the contact pressing member 50 is magnetized by the magnet.

  The contact pressing member 50 may be constituted by a magnet, and the support panel 43 may be constituted by a plate-like magnet or a magnetic material having magnetism. Alternatively, the contact pressing member 50 may be made of a magnetic material having magnetism, and the support panel 43 may be made of a magnet or a magnetic material having magnetism. In this case, the contact pressing member 50 and the support panel 43 may be arranged so that the magnetic poles of the contact pressing member 50 and the support panel 43 are different from each other. As the magnet, not only a permanent magnet but also an electromagnet can be used.

  The key switch device 100 described above is disposed, for example, on a keyboard. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a keyboard 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention having a large number of key switch devices 100. The keyboard 200 includes a number of key switch devices 100 having key tops 10 having various shapes and a predetermined arrangement. In the keyboard 200, the switch panel 20, the membrane switch 40, and the support panel 43 in the key switch device 100 are formed to be enlarged in the horizontal direction over the entire keyboard, and are shared by the key switch devices 100.

  In the above embodiment, the slider 13 is press-fitted under the key top 10 and the key top 10 and the slider 13 are integrally operated. However, the configuration of the operation member that is pressed downward is not limited thereto. Absent. Although the dome rubber 30 that is elastically buckled and deformed by the pressing operation is provided, the elastic member may have any shape as long as a repulsive force corresponding to the elastic buckling deformation is applied to the key top 10. Although the contact pressing member 50 has a stepped bar shape, if the pressing force independent of the operation force F is applied to the membrane switch 40 so as to be movable relative to the slider 13, the configuration of the pressing member Is not limited to those described above. For example, it may be formed in a spherical shape.

  Although the contact pressing member 50 is movably held in the through hole 19 of the slider 13, the configuration of the holding member is not limited thereto. For example, a protrusion for preventing the contact pressing member 50 from coming off may be provided at the upper end of the inner wall of the through hole 19 of the slider 13. Although the step portion 19a is formed on the inner wall of the through hole 19 to hold the contact pressing member 50, other holding portions may be provided. Although the support panel 43 is disposed below the membrane switch 40, the support member may have any shape. That is, the present invention is not limited to the key switch device of the embodiment as long as the features and functions of the present invention can be realized.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Key top 13 Slider 19 Through-hole 19a Step part 30 Dome rubber 40 Membrane switch 43 Support panel 50 Contact pressing member 44 Magnet 100 Key switch apparatus 200 Keyboard

Claims (6)

An operating member that is pressed downward;
A membrane switch disposed below the operation member;
An elastic member that is elastically buckled and deformed by a pressing operation of the operating member, and that gives a repulsive force corresponding to the elastic buckling deformation to the operating member;
A pressing member that is provided so as to be relatively movable with respect to the operating member, and that applies a pressing force independent of the operating force of the operating member to the membrane switch ;
The operating member includes a key switch device according to claim Rukoto that having a holding portion for holding the pressing member. The key switch device according to claim 1,
The elastic member has a hollow dome shape,
The operating member is
Key tops,
A holding member that is integrally provided with the elastic member inside the elastic member, and that moves up and down by the operation of the key top;
The holding member includes a key switch device and having a front Kiho lifting unit. The key switch device according to claim 2,
The holding member has a cylindrical shape with through holes opened in the vertical direction
The holding portion is a step portion formed in the through hole,
The key switch device according to claim 1, wherein a lower end portion of the pressing member protrudes from a lower end of the holding member. The key switch device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A support member disposed below the membrane switch;
One of the pressing member and the support member is made of a magnet or a magnetic material magnetized by a magnet, and the other of the pressing member and the support member is made of a magnetic material. Key switch device. The key switch device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A support member disposed below the membrane switch;
The key switch device according to claim 1, wherein the pressing member and the support member are respectively composed of magnets having different polarities or magnetic bodies magnetized by magnets.   A keyboard on which a plurality of key switch devices according to claim 1 are arranged.

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