TWI859784B - Illuminant circuit board, backlight moudule nad lightingkeyboard - Google Patents

Abstract

A back light module is applied to a lighting keyboard with a plurality of keyswitches and includes a lighting unit, a light guide plate, a light penetrating membrane, a light calibration layer and an adhering component. The light guide plate has an opening used to accommodate the lighting unit. The light penetrating membrane is disposed on the light guide plate. The light penetrating membrane is disposed on the light penetrating membrane and has a second contour. The adhering component is disposed between the light guide plate and the light penetrating membrane, and has a first contour greater than the second contour. The adhering component includes a front region, a rear region and a hollow region. The front region is covered by the light calibration layer. The rear region is partly covered or not covered by the light calibration layer. The hollow region corresponds to and is larger than the opening.

Description

Light source circuit board, backlight module and luminous keyboard

The present invention relates to an luminous keyboard, and in particular to an luminous keyboard and its backlight module and light board that take into account the illumination uniformity of keycap characters and keycap outlines.

In lighting mode, the multiple keys on the luminous keyboard are illuminated by the backlight module, which generates light through the characters on the keycaps, so that each character on the keycap can be clearly illuminated. However, the multiple characters on the keycaps are not all located in the center area of the top of the keycaps. Although the illuminated characters can help users identify the characters to be typed, it is difficult to form a highly uniform halo around the outline of each keycap for the nearly 100 keys of different sizes, shapes, and characters on the luminous keyboard.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a backlight module is disclosed, comprising a light-transmitting film, a reflective layer, a light-emitting unit, a light guide plate and an adhesive. The light-transmitting film has an optical block, an optical frame and a light-transmitting area defined between the optical block and the optical frame. The reflective layer is located below the light-transmitting film. The light-emitting unit is located below the light-transmitting film and protrudes above the reflective layer. The light guide plate is located between the light-transmitting film and the reflective layer, and the light guide plate has a light entrance hole to accommodate the light-emitting unit. The adhesive at least partially surrounds the light entrance hole of the light guide plate, and the adhesive defines a glue-free ring area, and the glue-free ring area is located between the adhesive and the light-emitting unit. The optical block is located above the light-emitting unit, and the distance between the adhesive-free ring area and the optical frame of the light-transmitting film is greater than the distance between the optical block and the optical frame.

In one embodiment of the backlight module of the present invention, the reflective layer includes at least one pair of separated micro-patterns located on both sides of the light-emitting unit. In one embodiment, the light guide plate has an edge wall that can leak light, and the distance between the non-adhesive ring area and the edge wall of the light guide plate is greater than the distance between the adhesive and the edge wall. In one embodiment, the reflective layer includes at least one pair of separated micro-patterns located on both sides of the light-emitting unit, and the adhesive includes an island glue, and the island glue at least partially overlaps at least one of the pair of micro-patterns. In one embodiment, the adhesive comprises a main adhesive and a sub-adhesive, the main adhesive at least partially surrounds the light-emitting unit, and the main adhesive has a gap, and the sub-adhesive at least partially overlaps the gap. In one embodiment, the reflective layer comprises at least one core micro-pattern disposed adjacent to the light-emitting unit, wherein the core micro-pattern overlaps the adhesive-free ring area, the main adhesive, the sub-adhesive, and at least one of the gaps of the main adhesive. In one embodiment, the distance between the sub-adhesive and the optical frame is less than the distance between the adhesive-free ring area and the optical frame. In one embodiment, the backlight module further includes a channel penetrating the backlight module, and the channel is not within a fan-shaped area where the gap between the light-emitting unit and the main polymer extends. In one embodiment, the reflective layer includes at least one pair of separated micro-patterns located on both sides of the light-emitting unit, and at least one of the non-gelatin ring area, the adhesive, the main polymer, the sub-gelatin, and the gap of the main polymer is located between the pair of micro-patterns. In one embodiment, the backlight module is used to illuminate at least one character of a light-emitting keyboard, and the distance from the sub-gelatin to the character is less than the distance from the main polymer to the optical frame. In one embodiment, the backlight module is used to illuminate a main character of an illuminating keyboard, and the optical block of the light-transmitting module overlaps the main character at least partially. In one embodiment, the backlight module is used to illuminate a main character of an illuminating keyboard, and the main character is located between the optical block and the optical frame. In one embodiment, the backlight module is used to illuminate two characters of an illuminating keyboard, and the non-glue ring area is located between the two characters. In one embodiment, the backlight module is used to illuminate a character of an illuminating keyboard, and the adhesive has a notch, the light-emitting unit and the notch extend a fan-shaped area, and the character and the fan-shaped area overlap at least partially. In one embodiment, the optical block overlaps at least one of the adhesive-free ring area and the adhesive. In one embodiment, the backlight module includes at least one pair of wires located below the reflective layer, the adhesive is located between the adhesive-free ring area and one of the at least one pair of wires, and the distance between the adhesive-free ring area and the pair of wires is greater than the distance between the adhesive and the pair of wires. In another embodiment of the present invention, a light-emitting key is disclosed, including a key cap and the backlight module described in the above embodiment. The key cap includes at least one character; the backlight module is disposed below the key cap to provide light to illuminate the character.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a backlight module is disclosed, which includes a light-transmitting film, a reflective layer, a light-emitting unit, a light guide plate, and an adhesive. The light-transmitting film has an optical block, an optical frame, and a light-transmitting area defined between the optical block and the optical frame; the reflective layer is located below the light-transmitting film, and the upper surface of the reflective layer has two micro-patterns arranged separately; the light-emitting unit is located below the light-transmitting film and protrudes above the reflective layer; the light guide plate is located between the light-transmitting film and the reflective layer, and the light guide plate has a light entrance hole to accommodate the light-emitting unit; the adhesive is arranged on the reflective layer, the adhesive at least partially surrounds the light-emitting unit, and the adhesive is located between the two micro-patterns. In another embodiment of the present invention, a light-emitting key is disclosed, comprising a key cap and the backlight module described in the aforementioned embodiment. The key cap comprises at least one character; the backlight module is disposed under the key cap to provide light to illuminate the character.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a light source circuit board is disclosed, comprising a base layer, a light source circuit, at least one light-emitting unit, a reflective layer and an adhesive. The light source circuit is located on the base layer, and the light source circuit comprises at least one pair of wires that are at least partially non-intersecting; the light-emitting unit is electrically connected to the at least one pair of wires; the reflective layer covers the light source circuit, and the upper surface of the reflective layer has two micro-patterns arranged separately; the adhesive is arranged on the reflective layer, and the adhesive at least partially surrounds the light-emitting unit, and the adhesive is located between the two micro-patterns.

In one embodiment of the backlight module of the present invention, the adhesive comprises a main adhesive and a sub-adhesive, the main adhesive at least partially surrounds the light-emitting unit, and the main adhesive has a gap, and the sub-adhesive at least partially overlaps the gap. In one embodiment, the sub-adhesive is located between the main adhesive and one of the at least one pair of wires, and the distance between the sub-adhesive and the pair of wires is smaller than the distance between the main adhesive and the pair of wires. In one embodiment, the reflective layer comprises at least one core micro-pattern disposed adjacent to the light-emitting unit, and the core micro-pattern is at least partially located between the adhesive and the light-emitting unit. In one embodiment, the adhesive member includes an island glue, and the island glue at least partially overlaps at least one of the pair of micro patterns. In another embodiment of the present invention, a backlight module is disclosed, including a light-transmitting film, a light guide plate, and the light source circuit board described in the above embodiment. The light-transmitting film has an optical block, an optical frame, and a light-transmitting area defined between the optical block and the optical frame; the light guide plate is located below the light-transmitting film, and the light guide plate has a light entrance hole corresponding to the optical frame; the light source circuit board is located below the light guide plate.

The light source circuit board, backlight module and luminous key of the present invention utilize the optical properties of the adhesive, aiming at the light emission position of the characters and the light leakage position of the hole/light guide plate edge wall, and with the optimization of the relative configuration of the main adhesive, sub-adhesive, gap, adhesive-free ring area, optical block, optical frame, micro-optical layer/micro-pattern/core micro-pattern and island adhesive, the luminous key as a whole has better lighting uniformity and halo continuity.

10: Luminous keyboard

100: Base plate

102: Circuit board

103: Light guide plate

104:Keycaps

105: Lifting mechanism

106: Elastic return member

107: Switch

108:Broken hole

109: Light-emitting unit

110: Microstructured prism

111: Translucent film

112: Shielding layer

113: Adhesive parts

114: Black ink layer

12: Button

12A: Square key

12B: Multiple key

14: Light source circuit board

140: Base layer

141: Light source circuit

142: Reflective layer

143: Interlayer

16: Thin film circuit board

18: Backlight module

20: Elastic recovery parts

22: Lifting support mechanism

23: Base plate

231a:Border

231b: Bridge rib

231c: Rib ring

232b: side hole

232c: Inner hole

24: Keycaps

26: Light-emitting unit

28: Switch

30: Light guide plate

31: Light entry hole

31a: Marginal wall

32: Translucent film

320: light-transmitting area

321: Optical block

321b: Shading block

321w:Reflection block

322:Optical frame

322b: Shading frame

322w:Reflection frame

34: Adhesive parts

341: Hollow part

342: Area before the light

343: Area behind lights

344: Unblocked area

34A: First outline

36: Light blocking piece

361: Translucent dots

36A: Second outline

38: Hole in light guide plate

54: First colloid (main colloid)

54A: Gap

54B: No rubber ring area

54C: No micro spot area

56: Second colloid (sub-colloid)

56i: Island Rubber

58: Main block

60: protrusion

62: Light-transmitting hole

A: Characters

A1: Main character

A2: Sub-character

cMP1/cMP2: nuclear micropattern

oMP/iMP: Micro-pattern

C:Connection

D1: First direction

D2: Second direction

D3: Third direction

Da/Db: distance

Hx: hole

MP: Micro-pattern

T/Ta/Tb/Tc: Spacing

V: Fan-shaped area

Figure 1 is an exploded view of a portion of the structure of the luminous keyboard of the embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the shape and position relationship between the light-emitting unit, dimming layer and adhesive member of the embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the shape and position relationship between the light-emitting unit, dimming layer and adhesive member in another embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the shape and position relationship between the light-emitting unit, dimming layer and adhesive member in another embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the multi-layer superposition of the luminous keyboard and backlight module of the derivative embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 6 is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of the luminous keyboard of the embodiment of Figure 5 within the range of a single key.

Figure 7 is a partial superimposed schematic diagram of the luminous keyboard of the embodiment of Figure 5 within the range of a single key.

Figure 8 is a partial top view of the light source circuit board of the embodiment of Figure 5 within the range of a single key.

Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the multi-layer stacking of a single key range of the light source circuit board of the embodiment of Figure 5.

Figure 10A is a partial superimposed schematic diagram of a single key of another embodiment of the luminous keyboard of the present invention.

Figure 10B is a partial superimposed schematic diagram of a single key of a luminous keyboard in another embodiment of the present invention.

Please refer to Figures 1 to 2. Figure 1 is an exploded view of a portion of the structure of the luminous keyboard 10 of the embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the shape and position relationship between the luminous unit 26, the dimming layer 36 and the adhesive 34 of the embodiment of the present invention. The luminous keyboard 10 includes a plurality of keys 12. The number and arrangement of the keys 12 depend on the language setting of the luminous keyboard 10, so they will not be described in detail.

The luminous keyboard 10 may include a light source circuit board 14, a thin film circuit board 16, a backlight module 18, an elastic recovery member 20, a lifting support mechanism 22, a bottom plate 23, and a key cap 24. The light-emitting unit 26 is disposed on the light source circuit board 14, and the thin film circuit board 16 may have a plurality of switches 28. The light source circuit board 14, the thin film circuit board 16, and the bottom plate 23 are stacked on each other. The lifting support mechanism 22 is used to support the key cap 24 so that the key cap 24 can move up and down relative to the switch 28. The bottom plate 23 is used to connect the lifting support mechanism 22.

The backlight module 18 includes a light guide plate 30, a light-transmitting film 32, an adhesive 34, a light-emitting unit 26, and a dimming layer 36. The light guide plate 30 has a hole 38 for accommodating the light-emitting unit 26. The key 12 is located above the light-emitting unit 26; the light-emitting unit 26 emits illumination light into the light guide plate 30 in a first direction D1, and then irradiates a plurality of key caps 24 in a second direction D2 through a microstructure prism (not shown) on the light guide plate. The first direction D1 is substantially perpendicular to the second direction D2. The light-transmitting film 32 covers the light guide plate 30, and the areas of the two are substantially equal. The adhesive 34 is disposed between the light guide plate 30 and the light-transmitting film 32 so that the two are adhered and bonded. The adhesive 34 has a hollow portion 341, which is located at a position corresponding to the hole 38 and is larger than the hole 38. In the present invention, the adhesive 34 is a light-transmitting and light-conducting material (such as hydrogel), so part of the illumination light will pass through the adhesive 34 to illuminate the character A of the key cap 24 in the second direction D2. As shown in FIG. 2, the adhesive 34 has a first outline 34A, the dimming layer 36 has a second outline 36A smaller than the first outline 34A, the adhesive 34 has a front area 342 in the first direction D1 of the light-emitting unit 26, and the adhesive 34 has a rear area 343 in the third direction D3 of the light-emitting unit 26. The adhesive member 34 and the dimming layer 36 are substantially overlapped in the area 342 in front of the lamp, but the adhesive member 34 and the dimming layer 36 are not overlapped in the area 343 behind the lamp, and the adhesive member 34 exposes an unobstructed area 344. The unobstructed area 344 on the adhesive member 34 is used to allow the illumination light to illuminate the character A in the second direction D2.

The dimming layer 36 can be a dark coating with a light-shielding function (e.g., black ink), which can block part of the illumination light in the second direction D2; or, the dimming layer 36 can also be a light coating with a partial light-transmitting function (e.g., white ink), which uses its semi-transmitting property to provide part of the illumination light to the corresponding upper key. Alternatively, one or more light-transmitting dots 361 can be set on the dimming layer 36 to adjust the amount of illumination light projected onto the key cap 24. The material, area, thickness, shape and other features of the dimming layer 36 are not limited to those shown in the embodiment shown in the figure, but depend on the design requirements. The key cap 24 of one of the multiple keys 12 of the present invention can achieve uniform illumination of the character A by adjusting the partially overlapping area of the dimming layer 36 and the adhesive 34.

Please refer to Figure 3, which is a schematic diagram of the shape and position relationship between the light-emitting unit 26, the dimming layer 36 and the adhesive 34 of another embodiment of the present invention. In another embodiment, the adhesive 34 may include a first gel 54 and a second gel 56. The first gel is C-shaped, and the second gel 56 is a relatively small rectangle. The illumination light emitted by the light-emitting unit 26 is irradiated toward the notch 54A of the first gel 54, that is, toward the first direction. The second gel 56 is disposed near the notch 54A of the first gel 54. The second gel 56 is completely covered by the dimming layer 36. The dimming layer 36 includes a main block 58 and a protrusion 60. The protrusion 60 is trapezoidal and completely covers the second gel 56.

In addition, the dimming layer 36 may optionally have one or more light-transmitting holes 62, which are located at the protruding portion 60 of the dimming layer 36 and are used to slightly increase the brightness of the character A on the keycap 24. In other possible variations, the light-transmitting holes 62 may also be set in the main block 58 of the dimming layer 36, and their position, size and distribution end are determined according to design requirements.

Please refer to Figure 4, which is a schematic diagram of the shape and position relationship between the light-emitting unit 26, the dimming layer 36 and the adhesive member 34 of another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the components with the same numbers as the previous embodiments have similar positions and functions, so they are not repeated here. The front-lamp area 342 of the adhesive member 34 of this embodiment roughly overlaps with the dimming layer 36, but the dimming layer 36 can slightly protrude from the adhesive member 34 along the first direction D1. The rear-lamp area 343 of the adhesive member 34 can partially overlap with the dimming layer 36. The adhesive member 34 can expose a portion of the unobstructed area 344. The unobstructed area 344 on the portion of the adhesive member 34 is used to allow the illumination light to illuminate the character A in the second direction D2. The adhesive member 34 of this embodiment may include a first adhesive member 54 and a second adhesive member 56. The first adhesive member is C-shaped, and the second adhesive member 56 is a relatively small rectangle. The illumination light emitted by the light-emitting unit 26 is irradiated toward the notch 54A of the first adhesive member 54, and the second adhesive member 56 is disposed near the notch 54A of the first adhesive member 54. The main area 58 of the dimming layer 36 is slightly smaller than the first adhesive member 54 of the adhesive member 34, and the protrusion 60 of the dimming layer 36 is rectangular and does not completely cover the second adhesive member 56 of the adhesive member 34.

In summary, the backlight module and the luminous keyboard of the present invention use the light-guiding property of the adhesive as auxiliary lighting, so that the key characters directly above the luminous unit have sufficient lighting. The adhesive is completely covered by the dimming layer in the area in front of the lamp, but only a small part of the adhesive is covered by the dimming layer in the area behind the lamp; or the adhesive is not covered by the dimming layer at all in the area behind the lamp. In this way, no matter where the luminous unit is located in the light-guiding module, the front and rear ends of the key cap of the luminous key can be fully illuminated, so that the luminous key as a whole has better lighting uniformity and halo continuity.

In order to improve the uniformity of light emission of the main characters and sub-characters of the keys, as well as the uniformity of the halo around multiple keys, the following embodiments provide different designs. Referring to Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the multi-layer superposition of the luminous keyboard 10 and the backlight module 18 of the derivative embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of the luminous keyboard 10 of the embodiment of Figure 5 within the range of a single key 12. Figure 7 is a partial superposition schematic diagram of the luminous keyboard of the embodiment of Figure 5 within the range of a single key 12. Figure 8 is a partial top view schematic diagram of the light source circuit board of the embodiment of Figure 5 within the range of a single key 12. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of the multi-layer stacking of a single key 12 of the light source circuit board 14 of the embodiment of FIG. 5.

Referring to Figures 5/6/7, the luminous keyboard 10 includes a plurality of keys 12 and a backlight module 18. Each key 12 includes a key cap 24, a base plate 23, an elastic recovery member 20 and a lifting support mechanism 22 (shown only in Figure 6) connected between the key cap 24 and the base plate 23, and a thin film circuit board 16 (shown only in Figure 6) located below the key cap 24 and generating a key signal when the key cap 24 is pressed. The thin film circuit board 16, the elastic recovery member 20 and the lifting support mechanism 22 can all be light-transmissive. The keys 12/keycaps 24 may have different shapes or sizes, such as square keys 12A (i.e., single-sized keys), multi-sized keys 12B, or other function keys. The keycaps 24 may have one or more characters as the light-emitting area of the keycaps 24, such as the main character A1 and the sub-character A2; some keys 12 do not have characters, such as the keycap 24 of the blank key (space) 12C in FIG. 5 , which does not have a light-emitting area. In addition to the characters as the light-emitting area, the four sides of the keycap 24 of each key 12 may also emit light, allowing the user to see a rectangular halo to identify the boundaries of the key 12/keycap 24. The bottom plate 23 has a frame 231a, a plurality of bridge ribs 231b and annular ribs 231c. The plurality of bridge ribs 231b are respectively connected between the annular ribs 231c and the frame 231a, and define a plurality of light-permeable side holes 232b and inner holes 232c.

5/6/7, the backlight module 18 is disposed below the plurality of keys 12, and includes a light source circuit board 14, a light guide plate 30, and a light-transmitting film 32. There is at least one light-emitting unit 26 on the light source circuit board 14 corresponding to each key 12/key cap 24 on the luminous keyboard 10. In order to control the light output position and area of the backlight module 18, the light-transmitting film 32 includes a light-transmitting area 320, an optical block 321 and an optical frame 322; wherein the optical block 321 is adjacent to the central area of the key cap 24 (or its projection), and the optical frame 322 surrounds the inner and outer sides of the outline area of the key cap 24, and the light-transmitting area 320 surrounds the optical block 321, and the light-transmitting area 320 is located between the optical block 321 and the optical frame 322. As with the dimming layer 36 described in the aforementioned embodiment, the optical block 321 located directly above the light-emitting unit 26 may include a light-shielding block 321b (e.g., a dark or black coating) and a reflective block 321w (e.g., a white or metal-containing coating). The light-shielding block 321b absorbs light or is opaque, while the reflective block 321w is partially transparent, partially reflective, or completely reflective (high reflectivity means low transmittance). The optical frame 322 is also similar to the aforementioned dimming layer 36, including a light-shielding frame 322b (e.g., a dark or black coating) and a reflective frame 322w (e.g., a white or metal-containing coating). The aperture of the optical frame 322 defines the outer boundary of the light-transmitting area 320 and can also be used to control the light output of the halo around the keycap 24; the outer diameter of the optical block 321 defines the inner boundary of the light-transmitting area 320. The light of the light-emitting unit 26 must be transmitted laterally outward to exceed the light-shielding block 321b to have a chance to emit light locally, or the light continues to be transmitted outward to exceed the reflective block 321w to fully emit light through the light-transmitting area 320. In other embodiments, especially when the light-emitting unit 26 adopts a color or multi-color light source, the optical block 321 may include a light-transmitting color block to adjust the light uniformity and/or light mixing effect.

Referring to Figures 5/6/7, the light guide plate 30 is located between the optical film 32 and the light source circuit board 14. Specifically, the light guide plate 30 is located between the reflective block 321w and the reflective frame 322w of the optical film 32 and the reflective layer 142 of the light source circuit board 14, so that light can be recycled to the light guide plate 30 as much as possible. When the light-emitting unit 26 adopts mini LED or micro LED with lower light emitting power, effective recycling and lateral transmission of light are more important. A micro-optical layer 31a may be provided on the upper or lower surface of the light guide plate 30 to guide the light to diffuse upward. The composition of the micro-optical layer 31a may be a micro-pattern composed of a plurality of micro-optical components (such as metal paint or white paint) or a micro-pattern composed of concave-convex micro-structures, and each body of the micro-pattern may be a micro-dot, a micro-line or an arbitrary shape when viewed from above or in section. The micro-optical layer 31a is usually arranged correspondingly below the light-transmitting area, such as the light-transmitting area 320 of the optical film 32 and the plurality of side holes 232b and inner holes 232c of the bottom plate 23. In terms of the functions of recycling and guiding light, a similar design may be provided on the reflective layer 142 of the light source circuit board 14, such as the micro-optical layer 31b. In principle, the micro-optical layer 31 and the micro-optical layer 31b are arranged parallel to the light guide plate 30 and the light source circuit board 14, and the micro-optical layer 31 and the micro-optical layer 31b can be arranged one by one or both at the same time to achieve a multiplication effect. The micro-optical layer 31 and the micro-optical layer 31b can also be arranged at a position where no light is emitted. For example, when the micro-optical layer 31 and the micro-optical layer 31b overlap with the frame 231a, the plurality of bridge ribs 231b and the ring rib 231c of the bottom plate 23, the effect of recycling and diffusing light can be enhanced, so that more light can reach the side or corner position of the light-transmitting area 320/key cap 24.

Referring to Figures 6/8/9, the light source circuit board 14 is composed of a base layer 140, a light source circuit 141 and a reflective layer 142. The light source circuit 141 is located between the reflective layer 142 and the base layer 140. The light unit 26 is electrically connected to the light source circuit board 14 and its light source circuit 141, and the light unit 26 protrudes above the reflective layer 142. The light source circuit board 14 and its light source circuit 141 can be a circuit board corresponding to the overall size of the light-emitting keyboard 10, or just a narrow and long flexible circuit board. Regardless of the size of the light source circuit board 14, the size of the reflective layer 142 and the light guide plate 30 and the light-transmitting mold 32 above it are all corresponding to the overall size of the light-emitting keyboard 10. In order to avoid the thermal expansion and contraction of the material in the process or use environment, or to reduce the interference of the light source circuit board 14 to the system RF signal, the base layer 140 can be a metal substrate. At this time, a spacer layer 143 can be added between the light source circuit 141 and the base layer 140 to ensure the normal operation of the light source circuit 141. Referring to Figure 9, the light source circuit 141 may further include a copper mesh Cm to provide structural rigidity or provide RF shielding. The presence of the copper mesh Cm will cause a micro-optical layer 31b to appear on the surface of the reflective layer 142; even in the implementation without the copper mesh Cm, the micro-optical layer 31b can form a diffuse light spot for guiding light by controlling the particle size of the reflective component. The light source circuit 141 may include a pair of high voltage/low voltage main conductors 141a, which are electrically connected to the light-emitting unit 26 through a pair of sub-conductors 141b. In addition to the core micro-pattern cMP1/cMP2 in the eighth figure located near the light-emitting unit 26 and the light-entry hole 31, within the projection range of the key 12/key cap 24, the main conductor 141a and the sub-conductor 141b cut the micro-optical layer 31b into a pair of micro-patterns oMP and a pair of micro-patterns iMP. In this optimal configuration, the adhesive-free ring area 54B, the adhesive component 34 and its main adhesive 54/sub-adhesive 56/notch 54A are all located between a pair of micro-patterns oMP; at the same time, the adhesive-free ring area 54B, the adhesive component 34 and its main adhesive 54/sub-adhesive 56/notch 54A are also located between a pair of micro-patterns iMP. In other words, it can be said that a pair of separated micro-patterns oMP are located on both sides of the light-emitting unit 26, or a pair of separated micro-patterns iMP are located on both sides of the light-emitting unit 26.

Under the best configuration of the present invention, the sub-gel 56 is located between the main gel 54 and the upper main gel 141a in the figure on a line C passing through the light-emitting element 26, the notch 54A and the main conductive line 141a, or on a line C passing through the light-emitting element 26, the sub-gel 56 and the main conductive line 141a. At this time, the distance Tc between the non-gel ring 54B and the main conductive line 141a on the line C is greater than the distance Ta between the notch 54A and the main conductive line 141a on the line C; and the distance Tc between the non-gel ring 54B and the main conductive line 141a on the line C is greater than the distance Tb between the sub-gel 56 and the main conductive line 141a on the line C. In addition, the distance Tb between the sub-gel 56 and the main conductor 141a on the connection C is also greater than the distance Ta between the main gel 54 and the main conductor 141a on the connection C. Therefore, under the optimal configuration of the present invention, on a connection C passing through the light-emitting element 26, the glue-free ring area 54B, the adhesive 34 and the main conductor 141a, the distance Tc between the glue-free ring area 54B and the main conductor 141a on this connection C is greater than the distance T between the adhesive 34 and the main conductor 141a on the connection C.

Referring to Figures 6/7/8/9, the light entrance hole 31 of the light guide plate 30 is usually opened with a smaller size to avoid unnecessary dissipation of excessive light before entering the light entrance hole 31. The adhesive 52 can be used to ensure that the light-emitting unit 26 and the light entrance hole 31 maintain a fixed relative distance. The adhesive 52 can also be selectively arranged between the light-transmitting film 32 and the light guide plate 30, but the adhesive can only be arranged between the light-transmitting film 32 and the light guide plate 30 at the gap corresponding to the key 12, or the adhesive can only be arranged on the outer periphery of the entire light-transmitting film 32. As described in the above embodiments, the light-transmitting adhesive 34 can be used for light adjustment. The adhesive 34 can include a main adhesive 54 (i.e., a first adhesive) and a sub-adhesive 56 (i.e., a second adhesive).

The main polymer 54 is an annular polymer that surrounds the light entrance hole 31 of the light guide plate 30 and the light emitting unit 26 in the light entrance hole 31. The sub-polymer 56 is a polymer block that at least partially extends outward. The sub-polymer 56 is farther from the light entrance hole 31 and the light emitting unit 26 than the main polymer 54. The main gel 54 may have a notch 54A, and the sub-gel 56 is disposed adjacent to the notch 54A; the notch 54A and the sub-gel 56 may be of any shape and do not need to correspond completely; the sub-gel 56 may be completely separated from the outer diameter range of the main gel 54, or partially connected to the main gel 54, or completely connected to the main gel 54 (the notch 54A is just a notch). In some embodiments, the main gel 54 and the sub-gel 56 may be located on different surfaces of the light guide plate 30. Since the adhesive 34 is a good light channel, light can easily pass through or enter the surface of the light guide plate 30. However, since the adhesive 34 is quite close to the light-emitting unit 26, this means that some light may frequently go up and down in and out of the light guide plate 30 at the adhesive 34, causing transmission loss. In contrast, the notch 54A and the outward-moving sub-gel 56 allow more light to be transmitted horizontally, so more light can be provided along the straight line extending from the light-emitting unit 26 to the notch 54A/sub-gel 56, which is suitable for peripheral characters that are not easily illuminated, such as the sub-character A2. Under the above optimized design, in order to ensure sufficient light at the location of the sub-gelatin 56 and improve the backlight uniformity, the distance Da between the sub-gelatin 56 and the sub-character A2 is smaller than the distance Db between the mother gelatin 54 and the sub-character A2; similarly, the distance between the sub-gelatin 56 and the inner edge of the optical frame 322 of the light-transmitting mold 32 (whether it is the light-shielding frame 322b or the reflective frame 322w) is smaller than the distance between the mother gelatin 54 and the inner edge of the optical frame 322.

Referring to Figures 7/8, a glue-free ring area 54B is left between the adhesive 34 and the light entrance hole 31 of the light guide plate 30, surrounding the light entrance hole 31. This can prevent the adhesive 34 from shifting or overflowing during the printing process and sticking to the light-emitting unit 26, causing changes in light output conditions or the light-emitting unit 26 to fall off (lose electrical connection with the light source circuit 141). Therefore, it is necessary for the glue-free ring area 54B to exist between the mother glue body 54 and the light entrance hole 31, and also between the sub-glue body 56 and the light entrance hole 31. In this way, the distance between the sub-gelatin 56 and the inner edge of the optical frame 322 of the light-transmitting mold 32 (regardless of the light-shielding frame 322b or the reflective frame 322w) will be smaller than the distance between the non-gelatin ring 54B and the inner edge of the optical frame 322; its meaning is equivalent to the configuration of the sub-gelatin 56 and the notch 54A of the main gelatin 54, which is close to and points to the direction where the character brightness or halo uniformity needs to be improved. In other words, the orthographic projections of the light-emitting unit 26, the notch 54A of the main gelatin 54 and the peripheral character (sub-character A2) are located on a straight line; because the positions of the sub-gelatin 56 and the notch 54A of the main gelatin 54 are close, it can also be said that the orthographic projections of the light-emitting unit 26, the sub-gelatin 56 and the peripheral character (sub-character A2) are located on a straight line. However, if the halo of the keycap 24 in the vicinity of the peripheral characters is taken into consideration, the size of the notch 54A can also be used to fine-tune the light transmission angle; therefore, it can be said that the peripheral characters (and their projections) will be set in the fan-shaped area V extending from the light-emitting unit 26 and the notch 54A (see Figure 10A), or the peripheral characters will overlap with the fan-shaped area V at least partially; of course, the hole Hx or the edge wall 31a of the light guide plate 30 is preferably not in the fan-shaped area V extending from the light-emitting unit 26 and the notch 54A to avoid serious light leakage. Furthermore, in different embodiments, the glue-free ring area 54B can be located on the upper surface and/or lower surface of the light guide plate 30.

Referring to Figures 7/8, in the actual production process, because the light transmittance of the optical block 321 of the transparent film 32 is too low (such as the thickness of the reflective block 321w is too thick, or the concentration of the reflective component is too high), it may cause insufficient light output directly above the light-emitting unit 26, making the brightness of the nearby (first) character A1 insufficient. At this time, one of the means to increase the light output brightness is to increase the amount of light output in the area around the light entrance hole 31 of the light guide plate 30, so the aforementioned micro-optical layer 31a/31b can be arranged in the area around the light entrance hole 31. For example, in Figure 8, the micro-optical layer 31a and/or 31b has an annular core micro-pattern cMP1 and a rectangular core micro-pattern cMP2 overlapping the optical block 321 of the transparent film 32 and the adhesive 34. The annular core micro-pattern cMP1 surrounds the light-entry hole 31 and the light-emitting unit 26, and the optical block 321 and/or the annular core micro-pattern cMP1 can at least partially overlap one of the non-gelatin annular area 54B, the main gel area 54, the light-shielding block 321b and the reflective block 321w, or any combination thereof. Since the reflective block 321w can partially transmit light, the more the core micro-pattern cMP1 exceeds the light-shielding block 321b, the more light can be emitted upward. The rectangular core micro-pattern cMP2 can at least partially overlap one of the gap 54A of the main gel 54 and the sub-gel 56, or overlap both at the same time. Since the gap 54A transmits more light in the horizontal direction, the density of the rectangular core micro-pattern cMP2 may need to be greater than that of the annular core micro-pattern cMP1 in order to provide better light uniformity. As a means of reconciling the excessive brightness of the gap 54A, a micro-dot-free area 54C may also be set within the range of the non-glue annular area 54B and the gap 54A. The micro-dot-free area 54C can be said to be located between the adhesive 34 and the light entrance hole 31; under the premise that the core micro-patterns cMP1 and/or cMP2 exist, the light output at the location of the micro-dot-free area 54C can be locally not increased.

Referring to Figures 5/6/7/8/9, a hole Hx may be provided around any key 12 on the luminous keyboard 10, or even within the projection range of the key cap 24 of the key 12, penetrating the luminous keyboard 10 and its backlight module 18; the hole Hx may serve as a heat dissipation hole for the computer system, or as an assembly structure hole for fixing the luminous keyboard 10 and its backlight module 18. The hole Hx is composed of through holes in each layer of the luminous keyboard 10 and its backlight module 18; in detail, the hole Hx penetrates the thin film circuit board 16, the bottom plate 23, the light-transmitting film 32, the light guide plate 30, the reflective layer 142 and the light source circuit board 14 from top to bottom. As mentioned above, there will be more light rays transmitted horizontally (through total reflection in the light guide plate 30) at the locations of the sub-gel 56 and the gap 54A, while the edge wall 31a of the light guide plate 30 at the hole Hx will leak light. Therefore, to avoid light leakage, the light-emitting element 26, the gap 54A and the hole Hx must not be in a straight line, or in other words, the light-emitting element 26, the sub-gel 56 and the hole Hx are not in a straight line. In short, the gap 54A and the sub-gel 56 are not facing the hole Hx, which can significantly reduce the amount of light that can leak from the hole Hx. Under this optimized configuration, the distance between the adhesive-free ring area 54B and the edge wall 31a of the cross section of the light guide plate 30 is greater than the distance between the adhesive 34 and the edge wall 31a of the light guide plate 30, and this is true regardless of whether the light-leaking edge wall 31a is actually a closed through hole located in the light guide plate 30, a semi-open half hole at the straight edge of the light guide plate 30, or a straight edge wall outside the light guide plate 30. Although the present invention can clearly explain the design scheme and technical principles through the above and following embodiments, these optimized designs are not easily replaceable design choices, because the inventors have gone through design verification, prototype verification, trial production correction, and mass production correction of several generations of product models to obtain these research results.

It should be emphasized that the characters on the keycap 24 usually overlap with the light-transmitting area 320 of the light-transmitting module 32 so that the light emitted by the backlight module 18 can illuminate the characters. However, the characters are often blocked by other components/structures, or there are special relative positions and backlight problems due to the appearance design. In this case, different means are needed to deal with it. In FIG. 7 , the main character A1 overlaps with the optical block 321 , so there may be several ways to increase the light output in practice, such as opening or enlarging the inner hole 232c of the bottom plate 23, punching holes on the optical block 321 (such as the light-transmitting dots 361 in FIG. 5 ), reducing the blocking block 321b, reducing the thickness of the optical block 321 or the reflective block 321w, etc. to increase the light transmittance of the optical block 321; or, arranging micro-optical layers 31a/31b corresponding to the characters, increasing the density of the micro-optical layers 31a/31b, widening the width of the adhesive 34, increasing the area of the adhesive 34, etc., to increase the light output above the LED and the problem area adjacent to the LED. In Figure 7, the dilemma of sub-character A2 is that it is far away from the light-emitting unit 26, and sub-character A2 overlaps the bridge rib 231b of the bottom plate 23. At this time, the width/area of the gap 54A can be increased, the density of the micro-optical layer 31a/31b corresponding to the two side holes 232b near the sub-character A2 can be increased, and the sub-gel 56 can be extrapolated (making the sub-gel 56 farther away from the light-emitting unit 26). In addition, because the gap 54A has a certain width and the light has a certain diffusion angle when it is transmitted outward, even if there is no opening on the bottom plate 23 that corresponds vertically to the sub-character A2, the sub-character A2 can be illuminated through the two side holes 232b near the sub-character A2.

Referring to FIG. 10A/10B, FIG. 10A is a partial superimposed schematic diagram of another embodiment of the luminous keyboard 10 of the present invention within the scope of a single key 12; FIG. 10B is a partial superimposed schematic diagram of another embodiment of the luminous keyboard 10 of the present invention within the scope of a single key 12. The difference between the embodiment of FIG. 10A and FIG. 7 is that the main character A1 with a large light emitting area is located between the straight inner edge of the optical frame 322 of the light-transmitting mold 32 and the optical block 321, and the main character A1 is also partially blocked by the bridge rib 231b of the bottom plate 23; the sub-character A2 is located in the side hole 232b of the bottom plate 23. The main polymer 54 of FIG. 10A has a second notch 54A2 added to point to the main character A1, and is not matched with the sub-polymer 56. The size of the notch 54A and 54A2 can be proportional to the character distance or the character luminous area; in addition, the two directional angles of the notch 54A and 54A2 are similar to or consistent with the directional angles of the two characters A1/A2 (centered on the light-emitting unit 26). Since there is no sub-polymer 56 to couple light in and out of the light guide plate 30, more light can be transmitted horizontally to the upper and lower three side holes 232b, and then emit light to illuminate the main character A1. In other words, the notch 54/54A can be used alone, and it is not absolutely necessary to match it with the sub-polymer 56. Furthermore, if necessary, a micro-pattern MP can be set on the micro-optical layer 31a or 31b, and the adhesive 34 can be added with an island glue 56i to overlap with the micro-pattern MP, and the two can also be further overlapped with the side hole 232b of the bottom plate 23/the main character A1; however, the island glue 56i does not overlap with the optical block 321 or the optical frame 322. In this way, the light coupling effect of the island glue 56i can be used to improve the light emitting effect of the main character A1. The difference between the embodiment of Figure 10B and Figure 10A is that, in addition to the sub-gelatin 56a pointing to the sub-character A2, the adhesive 34 further adds a second sub-gelatin 56b pointing to the main character A1 in the gap 54A2. In addition, in FIG. 10B, the adhesive component 34 (including the main adhesive 56, the notch 54A/54A2, the sub-adhesive 56a/56b, and the adhesive-free ring area 54B) is located at the main character A1 and the sub-character A2. This is the optimized design of the adhesive component 34 when the main character A1 and the sub-character A2 are located on opposite sides of the light-emitting unit 26.

Referring to Figures 6/7/8/9/10A/10B, in order to achieve an excellent light-distributing effect, the relative size design of the adhesive 34 and the optical block 321 on the transparent film 32 needs to be discussed. First, the outer diameter of the adhesive 34 (including the main adhesive 54 and the sub-adhesive 56) is preferably larger than the shielding block 231B. This is because if the local light output increased by the main adhesive 54 is completely absorbed or blocked by the shielding block 231B, it is undoubtedly a waste of light output. However, when the outer diameter of the adhesive 34 is larger than the inner hole 231c of the bottom plate 23 and overlaps the annular rib 231c of the bottom plate 23, the light path will depend on the material of the bottom plate 23; if the bottom plate 23 is a reflective metal material or coated with reflective ink, the light can still be recovered. Secondly, if the outer diameter of the adhesive 34 is larger than the reflective block 321W, it will cause the area to be brighter, unless the character is located directly above it, or the part of the adhesive 34 that exceeds the reflective block 321W overlaps the reflective annular rib 231c of the bottom plate 23. Generally, the outer diameter of the adhesive 34 is preferably not larger than the reflective block 321W. However, allowing the adhesive 34 to partially exceed (expose) the reflective block 321W as needed is also an effective means to increase the controllable amount of light output. Based on the above configuration, the blocking block 321B overlaps the glue-free ring area 54B and the micro-dot-free area 54C, and the outer diameter of the blocking block 321B is also larger than the glue-free ring area 54B and the micro-dot-free area 54C. In addition, the distance between the glue-free ring area 54B and the inner edge of the optical frame 322 will also be larger than the distance between the outer edge of the optical block 321 and the inner edge of the optical frame 322.

Through the optimized configuration of the aforementioned embodiments, the light source circuit board/backlight module/luminous key of each embodiment of the present invention can achieve the uniformity of light emission of a single key and the entire panel, and can also take into account the uniformity of the light emission of the characters between the keys and the halo of the key cap outline, so as to achieve the best backlight effect.

The above is only the preferred embodiment of the present invention. All equivalent changes and modifications made within the scope of the patent application of the present invention shall fall within the scope of the present invention.

14: Light source circuit board

18: Backlight module

23: Base plate

231a:Border

231b: Bridge rib

231c: Rib ring

232b: side hole

232c: Inner hole

24: Keycaps

26: Light-emitting unit

31: Light entry hole

32: Translucent film

320: light-transmitting area

321: Optical block

321b: Shading block

321w:Reflection block

322:Optical frame

322b: Shading frame

322w:Reflection frame

34: Adhesive parts

54: First colloid (main colloid)

54A: Gap

54B: No rubber ring area

54C: No micro spot area

56: Second colloid (sub-colloid)

A1: Main character

A2: Sub-character

D1: First direction

D2: Second direction

Da/Db: distance

Hx: hole

Claims (23)

A backlight module includes: a light-transmitting film having an optical block, an optical frame, and a light-transmitting area defined between the optical block and the optical frame; a reflective layer located below the light-transmitting film; a light-emitting unit located below the light-transmitting film and protruding above the reflective layer; a light guide plate located between the light-transmitting film and the reflective layer, the light guide plate having a light entrance hole To accommodate the light-emitting unit; at least one adhesive member at least partially surrounds the light entrance hole of the light guide plate, and the adhesive member defines a non-adhesive ring area, and the non-adhesive ring area is located between the adhesive member and the light-emitting unit: wherein the optical block is located above the light-emitting unit, and the distance between the non-adhesive ring area and the optical frame of the light-transmitting film is greater than the distance between the optical block and the optical frame. A backlight module as described in claim 1, wherein the reflective layer includes at least one pair of separated micro-patterns located on both sides of the light-emitting unit. The backlight module as described in claim 1, wherein the light guide plate has an edge wall that can leak light, and the distance between the adhesive-free ring area and the edge wall of the light guide plate is greater than the distance between the adhesive member and the edge wall. The backlight module as described in claim 1, wherein the reflective layer includes at least one pair of separated micro-patterns located on both sides of the light-emitting unit, and the adhesive component includes an island glue, and the island glue at least partially overlaps at least one of the pair of micro-patterns. The backlight module as described in claim 1, wherein the adhesive component includes a main adhesive and a sub-adhesive, the main adhesive at least partially surrounds the light-emitting unit, and the main adhesive has a notch, and the sub-adhesive at least partially overlaps the notch. The backlight module as described in claim 5, wherein the reflective layer includes at least one core micro pattern disposed adjacent to the light-emitting unit, wherein the core micro pattern overlaps the non-gel ring area, the main gel, the sub-gel, and at least one of the gaps of the main gel. The backlight module as described in claim 5, wherein the distance between the sub-gelatin and the optical frame is smaller than the distance between the gel-free ring area and the optical frame. The backlight module as described in claim 5 further includes a channel penetrating the backlight module, and the channel is not within a fan-shaped area extending from the notch between the light-emitting unit and the main polymer. The backlight module as described in claim 5, wherein the reflective layer includes at least one pair of separated micro-patterns located on both sides of the light-emitting unit, and at least one of the adhesive-free ring area, the adhesive component, the main adhesive, the sub-adhesive, and the gap of the main adhesive is located between the pair of micro-patterns. A backlight module as described in claim 5, wherein the backlight module is used to illuminate at least one character of a light-emitting keyboard, and the distance from the sub-gel to the character is smaller than the distance from the main gel to the optical frame. A backlight module as described in claim 1, wherein the backlight module is used to illuminate a main character of an illuminating keyboard, and the optical block of the light-transmitting module overlaps the main character at least partially. A backlight module as described in claim 1, wherein the backlight module is used to illuminate a main character of an illuminating keyboard, and the main character is located between the optical block and the optical frame. A backlight module as described in claim 1, wherein the backlight module is used to illuminate two characters of a light-emitting keyboard, and the glue-free ring area is located between the two characters. A backlight module as described in claim 1, wherein the backlight module is used to illuminate a character of a light-emitting keyboard, and the adhesive member has a notch, the light-emitting unit and the notch extend a fan-shaped area, and the character and the fan-shaped area at least partially overlap. A backlight module as described in claim 1, wherein the optical block overlaps at least one of the adhesive-free ring area and the adhesive member. The backlight module as described in claim 1 further comprises at least one pair of conductive wires located below the reflective layer, the adhesive is located between the adhesive-free ring area and one of the at least one pair of conductive wires, and the distance between the adhesive-free ring area and the pair of conductive wires is greater than the distance between the adhesive and the pair of conductive wires. A backlight module includes: a light-transmitting film having an optical block, an optical frame, and a light-transmitting area defined between the optical block and the optical frame; a reflective layer located below the light-transmitting film, the upper surface of the reflective layer having two micro-patterns arranged separately; a light-emitting unit located below the light-transmitting film and protruding above the reflective layer; a light-guiding plate located between the light-transmitting film and the reflective layer, the light-guiding plate having a light-entry hole to accommodate the light-emitting unit; at least one adhesive member disposed on the reflective layer, the adhesive member at least partially surrounding the light-emitting unit, and the adhesive member being located between the two micro-patterns. A luminous keyboard comprises: a key cap, comprising at least one character; a backlight module as described in claim 1 to claim 17, disposed under the key cap, the backlight module providing light to illuminate the character. A light source circuit board comprises: a base layer; a light source circuit located on the base layer, the light source circuit comprising at least one pair of wires that at least partially do not intersect; at least one light-emitting unit electrically connected to the at least one pair of wires; a reflective layer covering the light source circuit, the upper surface of the reflective layer having two micro-patterns disposed separately; and an adhesive member disposed on the reflective layer, the adhesive member at least partially surrounding the light-emitting unit, and the adhesive member is disposed between the two micro-patterns; wherein the reflective layer comprises at least one core micro-pattern disposed adjacent to the light-emitting unit, and the core micro-pattern is at least partially disposed between the adhesive member and the light-emitting unit. The light source circuit board as described in claim 19, wherein the adhesive comprises a main adhesive and a sub-adhesive, the main adhesive at least partially surrounds the light-emitting unit, and the main adhesive has a notch, and the sub-adhesive at least partially overlaps the notch. The light source circuit board as described in claim 20, wherein the sub-gel is located between the main gel and one of the at least one pair of wires, and the distance between the sub-gel and the pair of wires is smaller than the distance between the main gel and the pair of wires. A light source circuit board as described in claim 19, wherein the adhesive member includes an island adhesive, and the island adhesive at least partially overlaps at least one of the pair of micro-patterns. A backlight module comprises: a light-transmitting film having an optical block, an optical frame and a light-transmitting area defined between the optical block and the optical frame; a light guide plate located below the light-transmitting film, the light guide plate having a light entrance hole corresponding to the optical frame; a light source circuit board as described in claim items 19 to 22, the light source circuit board being located below the light guide plate.