TWI641970B - Keyswitch structure - Google Patents

Abstract

The button structure comprises a bottom plate, an elastic body and a key cap, wherein the bottom plate has a recessed space; the elastic body is disposed above the bottom plate; the key cap is disposed above the elastic body, and the key cap is composed of a key top and a key skirt connected around the key top, the key The cap has a joint portion and a limiting portion, and protrudes from the lower surface of the key top toward the bottom plate, and the joint portion corresponds to the recessed space. Before pressing the key cap, the elastic body has a projection range on the lower surface of the key top, and the limiting portion corresponds to the elastic body. And the limiting portion has a preset distance from the projection range; when the key cap is pressed toward the bottom plate, the lower surface of the key top is pressed against the elastic body, so that the elastic body is elastically deformed, the joint portion enters the recessed space, and the limiting portion Pressing against the bottom plate to define the lowest position of the keycap. When the keycap is at the lowest position, the elastic body does not exceed the preset distance after deformation, so that the elastic body does not extend below the limit portion after being deformed.

Description

Button structure

The present invention relates generally to a key structure, and more particularly to a key structure having a morphing security design.

The operation of the conventional button structure is generally performed by pressing the keycap, thereby compressing the elastic body to trigger the switch circuit to generate a trigger signal, and returning the keycap to the position before the pressing by the restoring force of the elastic body. However, the key caps of the keyboard device (for example, the Space button, the Enter button, the Caps Lock button, the Shift button, etc.) have a large aspect ratio, so that the key cap as a whole The rigidity is weak. Therefore, after pressing such a button, the key cap usually causes local deformation (for example, a concave deformation occurs in the middle of the key cap), and further compresses the elastic body, causing the deformation of the elastic body to be larger than expected, resulting in an elastic body. Excessive compression deformation reduces the life of the elastomer, or even makes the button fail to operate.

Therefore, how to effectively avoid excessive deformation of the elastomer is one of the main topics in the design of the button structure.

An object of the present invention is to provide a key structure having a deformation-safe design to effectively avoid excessive deformation of the elastic body.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a button structure, which is provided with a limiting portion on the keycap, which not only strengthens the rigidity of the keycap, but also defines a pressing stroke to effectively reduce the keycap shape. Change the effect on the deformation of the elastomer.

In one embodiment, the button structure of the present invention comprises a bottom plate, an elastic body and a key cap, wherein the bottom plate has a recessed space, the bottom plate extends along the X-axis and the Y-axis plane, and the X-axis, the Y-axis and the Z-axis are perpendicular to each other; the elastic body is disposed Above the bottom plate; the key cap is disposed above the elastic body, the key cap is composed of a key top and a key skirt connected around the key top, the key cap has a joint portion and a limit portion, and the joint portion and the limit portion are below the key top The surface protrudes toward the bottom plate, and the joint portion corresponds to the recessed space. In the Z-axis direction, before pressing the keycap, the elastic body has a projection range on the lower surface of the key top, the limiting portion is corresponding to the elastic body, and the limiting portion and the projection range have a preset distance; wherein when the keycap is pressed toward the bottom plate, the lower surface of the key top is pressed against the elastic body to elastically deform the elastic body, the joint portion enters the recessed space, and the limiting portion is pressed against the bottom plate to define the key cap In the lowest position, when the key cap is at the lowest position, the elastic body does not exceed the preset distance after deformation, so that the elastic body does not extend below the limit portion after being deformed.

In another embodiment, the button structure of the present invention comprises a bottom plate, a key cap, a supporting unit and an elastic body, wherein the bottom plate has a first coupling portion, and the bottom plate extends along the X-axis and the Y-axis plane, and the X-axis, the Y-axis and the Z-axis The key cap is movably disposed above the bottom plate, and the key cap is composed of a key top and a key skirt connected around the key top, the key cap has a second coupling portion and a limiting portion, and the second coupling portion and The limiting portion protrudes from the lower surface of the key top toward the bottom plate; the supporting unit is disposed between the key cap and the bottom plate, and the two ends of the supporting unit are movably connected to the second coupling portion and the first coupling portion respectively; the elastic body is disposed Between the keycap and the bottom plate, in the Z-axis direction, before pressing the keycap, the elastic body has a projection range on the lower surface of the key top, the limiting portion is corresponding to the elastic body, and the limiting portion and the projection range have presets. a distance, wherein when the keycap is pressed toward the bottom plate, the lower surface of the key top is pressed against the elastic body to elastically deform the elastic body, and the limiting portion is pressed against the bottom plate to define the lowest position of the keycap, when the key cap is at the lowest position In position, the elastomer does not exceed the preset distance after deformation After the elastomer is not deformed Extend below the limit.

In one embodiment, the recessed space is formed by a hole or a groove formed in the bottom plate.

In an embodiment, the preset distance is less than or equal to 2 mm in the X-axis direction.

In an embodiment, the preset distance is greater than or equal to 1 mm in the X-axis direction.

In an embodiment, the limiting portion includes a first limiting portion and a second limiting portion. The first limiting portion and the second limiting portion are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the projection range in the X-axis direction, and the first portion The distance between the limiting portion and the second limiting portion is less than or equal to the diameter of the elastic body plus 4 mm, and the distance between the first limiting portion and the second limiting portion determines that when the key cap is pressed, the key is in the direction of the Z-axis. The maximum amount of deformation under pressure.

In an embodiment, the limiting portion includes a plurality of ribs or protrusions, and the plurality of ribs or protrusions are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the projection range in the X-axis direction.

In an embodiment, the limiting portion is a limiting ring, wherein the limiting ring surrounds the projection range.

In an embodiment, the button structure of the present invention further includes an auxiliary rod, wherein the auxiliary rod is coupled to the joint portion, and the joint portion is closer to the key skirt than the limit portion.

In one embodiment, the auxiliary rod includes a reinforcing rod and a balance rod, and the joint portion includes a first joint portion and a second joint portion respectively connected to the reinforcing rod and the balance rod, wherein the balance rod is disposed on the outer side of the reinforcing rod and connected to the key cap and the bottom plate And wherein the length of the first joint portion is greater than or equal to the length of the second joint portion.

In one embodiment, the support unit surrounds the elastomer.

100, 200, 300‧‧‧ button structure

110, 210, 310‧‧‧ bottom plate

112, 212‧‧‧ recessed space

114a, 114b‧‧‧ first coupling

116‧‧‧Connecting Department

116a‧‧‧Chute

120, 120', 120", 220, 320‧‧‧ key caps

122, 222, 322‧‧‧ key top

122a, 222a, 322a‧‧‧ lower surface

124, 224, 324‧‧‧ key skirt

126, 126’, 126”, 226, 326‧‧ ‧ Limitation Department

127a, 127b, 327‧‧‧second coupling

128a‧‧‧ first joint

128b‧‧‧Second junction

130, 230, 330‧‧‧ Elastomers

132‧‧‧Trigger

140, 240, 340‧‧ ‧ switch layer

142‧‧‧ openings

144‧‧‧through hole

150, 350‧‧‧ support unit

152, 352‧‧‧ first bracket

154, 354‧‧‧second bracket

162‧‧‧ Strengthening rod

162a‧‧‧ openings

164‧‧‧Balance rod

164a‧‧‧Extension

228‧‧‧Combination Department

260‧‧‧Auxiliary pole

D1, D2‧‧‧Preset distance

P‧‧‧Projection range

1A and FIG. 1B are respectively an exploded view and a partial combination diagram of a key structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1C to FIG. 1E are respectively a plan view of the keycap of FIG. 1A and a schematic cross-sectional view of different viewing angles; FIG. 2A and FIG. 1A and 3B are schematic cross-sectional views of different angles of the button structure of FIG. 1A after being pressed; FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B are keys of different embodiments of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B are schematic cross-sectional views of a button structure before and after pressing according to another embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B are diagrams showing a button structure before a structure press according to still another embodiment of the present invention; A schematic cross-sectional view after pressing; and FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a key cap according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The invention provides a button structure with a deformation safety design. Specifically, the button structure of the present invention can be a button structure of a computer keyboard, but is not used as such. The button structure of the present invention can be a button, a numeric key or the like of other electronic devices. The button structure of the present invention can be any button structure having an elastic body, especially a button structure having a large aspect ratio, such as a multiple key, but not limited thereto. The details of the key structure of the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B , in one embodiment, the button structure 100 of the present invention includes a bottom plate 110 , a key cap 120 , an elastic body 130 , and a switch layer 140 . The key cap 120 is disposed above the bottom plate 110 and is movable up/down relative to the bottom plate 110. The elastic body 130 is disposed above the bottom plate 110 and located between the key cap 120 and the bottom plate 110 for providing a restoring force when the key cap 120 is pressed back to the position before pressing. The switch layer 140 is disposed under the elastic body 130, and is preferably located on the bottom plate 110 and has an opening The off circuit is used to provide a trigger signal. According to the design requirements, the button structure 100 of the present invention may further include a supporting unit 150 and an auxiliary rod (for example, the reinforcing rod 162 and the balance rod 164). The support unit 150 is disposed between the keycap 120 and the bottom plate 110, and the two ends of the support unit 150 are movably connected to the keycap 120 and the bottom plate 110 respectively for supporting the up/down movement of the keycap 120 relative to the bottom plate 110. The auxiliary rod is disposed between the key cap 120 and the bottom plate 110 and can be used to strengthen the structural strength of the key cap 120 or to enhance the driving force of the key cap 120.

For example, the reinforcing bar 162 is only coupled to the keycap 120 for enhancing the structural strength of the currently thinned plastic keycap 120. The reinforcing rod 162 is preferably a non-closed frame rod, for example, a rectangular frame balance bar having an opening 162a between the two ends to increase the deformation elasticity of the reinforcing rod 162, thereby improving the assembly and connection of the reinforcing rod 162 and the key cap 120. Convenience. The upper and lower ends of the balance bar 164 are respectively connected between the keycap 120 and the bottom plate 110, that is, the balance bar 164 is connected to the key cap 120 on one side and the bottom plate 110 on the other side, and can be used to enhance the driving force of the key cap 120. Thus, when the user only presses the right side of the keycap, the left side of the keycap can also be lowered at the same time, so as to prevent the keycap 120 from exhibiting a lower right side and a higher left side tilting state. In this embodiment, the balance bar 164 is a U-shaped bar and has an extension portion 164a bent toward the U-shaped opening at both ends of the U-shape, wherein the extension portion 164a serves as a hook slidably engaged with the bottom plate 110. Moreover, the reinforcing rod 162 and the balance rod 164 preferably have a circular shaft and can be bent by a metal wire, but are not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the reinforcing rod 162 and the balance rod 164 may have a shape of an elliptical shape, a square shape, or the like according to design requirements, and may be made of any suitable material to enhance the strength of the keycap 120 or to enhance the driving of the keycap 120. Sex.

Specifically, the bottom plate extends along the X-axis and the Y-axis plane, and the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis are perpendicular to each other. The bottom plate 110 has a recessed space 112. The recessed space 112 may be formed by a hole or a groove formed in the bottom plate 110. In an embodiment, the recessed space 112 preferably penetrates through the bottom plate 110. The hole is configured such that the bottom plate 110 has the largest accommodating space in the thickness direction (ie, the moving direction of the key cap 120), but is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the recessed space 112 may be formed by recessing the upper surface of the bottom plate 110 away from the key cap 120 (ie, downward), that is, the recessed space 112 is a blind hole formed in the bottom plate 110. Composition. As will be described later in detail, the keycap 120 has a joint portion (for example, a first joint portion 128a and a second joint portion 128b), and the recessed space 112 is provided corresponding to the joint portion of the keycap 120. When the keycap 120 moves toward the bottom plate 110, the recessed space 112 serves as a escaping area of the joint portion (128a, 128b), which allows the joint portion to protrude into the recessed space 112.

In addition, corresponding to the arrangement of the support unit 150, the bottom plate 110 further has at least one first coupling portion 114a, 114b to couple the support unit 150. For example, the plurality of hooks are protruded from the upper surface of the bottom plate 110 toward the key cap 120 (ie, upwardly) as the first coupling portions 114a, 114b of the coupling unit 150, but are not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the first coupling portions 114a, 114b may have different changes depending on the structure of the support unit 150. The bottom plate 110 may be formed by mechanically bending or bending a metal plate to form a unitary structure having a recessed space 112 and first coupling portions 114a and 114b, but is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the first coupling portions 114a, 114b can be disposed on the bottom plate 110 by adhesion, welding, locking, or the like.

The bottom plate 110 has a connecting portion 116 that engages with the extending portion 164a of the balance bar 164 in addition to the recessed space 112 and the first coupling portions 114a and 114b. In this embodiment, the connecting portion 116 is a connecting mechanism that is bent upward from the surface of the bottom plate 110, wherein the connecting portion 116 has a sliding groove 116a. It should be noted that when the switch layer 140 is disposed on the bottom plate 110, the switch layer 140 has a corresponding opening 142 to allow the first coupling portion 114a, 114b and/or the connecting portion 116 to protrude from the opening 142, so that the first A coupling portion 114a, 114b can be movably coupled to the support unit 150, and the extension portion 164a of the balance bar 164 is slidably inserted into the chute 116a. When the keycap 120 moves relative to the bottom plate 110, the extension 164a The system moves in the chute 116a to improve the balance of the movement of the keycap 120.

In one embodiment, the switch layer 140 is preferably a multi-layer circuit structure including an upper circuit layer and a lower circuit layer, so that the upper circuit layer can be pressed and deformed to be electrically connected to the lower circuit layer to generate a trigger signal. Furthermore, the switch layer 140 can selectively open the through hole 144 corresponding to the position of the recessed space 112 to allow the joint portion (for example, the first joint portion 128a and the second joint portion 128b) to enter the recessed space 112 through the through hole 144. In another embodiment, when the portion of the switch layer 140 corresponding to the recessed space 112 has a deformable characteristic, the through hole 144 may not be disposed, so that when the joint portion moves downward, the portion of the switch layer 140 corresponding to the recessed space 112 is pressed. This portion is deformed to allow the joint to enter the recessed space 112. It should be noted that the recessed space 112 of the bottom plate 110 and the through hole 144 of the switch layer 140 may have appropriate sizes and positions, so that the adjacent first joint portion 128a and the second joint portion 128b may correspond to the same through hole 144. The same recessed space 112 can be accessed, but not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the recessed space 112 of the bottom plate 110 and the through hole 144 of the switch layer 140 can form an individual correspondence with the first joint portion 128a and the second joint portion 128b, so that the first joint portion 128a and the second joint portion correspond to each other. Different through holes 144, which in turn can extend into the corresponding recessed spaces 112.

1A to FIG. 1E, FIG. 1C is a schematic plan view of the key cap 120, FIG. 1D is a schematic cross-sectional view of the key cap 120 along a tangent to the long axis of the key cap (ie, the X-axis), and FIG. 1E is a key cap 120 A schematic cross-sectional view of a tangent to the short axis of the keycap (ie, the Y-axis). The keycap 120 is formed by a key top 122 and a key skirt 124 that is coupled around the key top 122 and extends toward the bottom plate 110. The keycap 120 has a limiting portion 126, second coupling portions 127a, 127b, and a first coupling portion 128a and a second coupling portion 128b. The limiting portion 126, the second coupling portion 127a, 127b, and the first joint portion 128a and the second joint portion 128b respectively protrude from the lower surface 122a of the key top 122 toward the bottom plate 110, and the limiting portion 126 and the first joint portion 128a The second joint portion 128b preferably extends downward beyond the bottom surface of the key skirt 124 such that the limiting portion 126 and the first joint portion The bottom surface of the key skirt 124 is protruded from the lower end of the 128a and the second joint portion 128b. The limiting portion 126 is disposed corresponding to the elastic body 130, and the first joint portion 128a and the second joint portion 128b are closer to the adjacent key skirt 124 than the limiting portion 126. The limiting portion 126 is used to define the distance that the keycap 120 moves relative to the bottom plate 110 (ie, the key stroke), and ensures that the elastic body 130 has a safe deformation amount when the keycap 120 moves downward toward the bottom plate 110 without excessive deformation. (Detailed later).

The first joint portion 128a and the second joint portion 128b are used to connect the reinforcing rod 162 and the balance rod 164, respectively. For example, the key cap 120 has a plurality of first joint portions 128a, and the plurality of joint portions 128a are disposed on the lower surface 122a of the key top 122 corresponding to the frame-shaped contour of the reinforcing rod 162 to respectively connect the corresponding rods of the reinforcing rod 162. Body part. In other words, the plurality of first joint portions 128a are disposed in a frame-shaped manner on the lower surface 122a of the key top 122. Similarly, corresponding to the configuration of the balance bar 164, the plurality of second joint portions 128b are disposed on the lower surface 122a of the key top 122 corresponding to the balance bar 164 to respectively connect the corresponding shaft portions of the balance bar 164. In this embodiment, the balance bar 164 is preferably disposed on the outer side of the reinforcing bar 162, that is, the second joint portion 128b is closer to the adjacent key skirt 124 than the first joint portion 128a. It should be noted that when the reinforcing rod 162 is engaged with the first joint portion 128a, or the balance rod 164 is engaged with the second joint portion 128b, the lower end point of the first joint portion 128a is lower than the lower end point of the reinforcing rod 162, or The lower end of the second joint 128b is lower than the lower end of the balance bar 164. That is, the lower end of the first joint portion 128a is substantially lower than the portion of the first joint portion 128a of the reinforcing rod 162 that is coupled to the first joint portion 128a, or the lower end of the second joint portion 128b is substantially lower than or equal to the balance rod 164 and the The portion where the two joint portions 128b are connected.

In this embodiment, the two supporting units 150 are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the long axis direction of the keycap 120, that is, opposite to the elastic body 130 on opposite sides of the X-axis. Each support unit 150 can include a first bracket 152 and a second bracket 154, wherein the first bracket 152 is pivotally pivoted to the second branch The frame 154 is formed to form a scissor support unit, but is not limited thereto. Specifically, the two ends of the first bracket 152 are rotatably and movably connected to the second coupling portion 127a of the keycap 120 and the first coupling portion 114a of the bottom plate 110, respectively. Both ends of the second bracket 154 are movably and rotatably coupled to the second coupling portion 127b of the keycap 120 and the first coupling portion 114b of the bottom plate 110, respectively. It should be noted that in other embodiments, the support unit may be a butterfly support unit formed by the first bracket and the second bracket, so that the first bracket and the second bracket are rotatably and slidably coupled to the keycap and the bottom panel, respectively. Ground coupling.

The elastic body 130 is disposed between the keycap 120 and the bottom plate 110, and preferably corresponds to a central position of the key top 122. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the elastic body 130 is a dome-shaped rubber elastic body. The elastic body 130 preferably has a trigger portion 132 (see FIG. 2A), and the trigger portion 132 is disposed in the inner space of the elastic body 130 and extends downward toward the bottom plate 110. When the button structure 100 is in the unpressed position (ie, before pressing the keycap 120), the elastic body 130 preferably abuts the lower surface 122a of the key top 122, and in the Z-axis direction, the elastic body 130 is on the lower surface of the key top 122. 122a has a projection range P. As shown in FIG. 1C and FIG. 2A, the limiting portion 126 is disposed corresponding to the elastic body 130 such that the limiting portion 126 has a predetermined distance (for example, D1, D2) from the projection range P. The design of the preset distances D1 and D2 preferably needs to consider two kinds of effects: (1) when the key cap 120 is pressed and the elastic body 130 is laterally extended by the flattening deformation, the lateral extension of the elastic body 130 is prevented from entering the limit. The position between the bit portion 126 and the bottom plate 110 affects the user's operating feel; therefore, the preset distances D1, D2 need to be greater than a predetermined minimum value to ensure that there is sufficient space for the elastic body 130 to extend laterally; (2) when the key cap 120 is pressed When the thinned keycap 120 between the limiting portions 126 exhibits a higher U-shaped deformation on the lower sides of the center, the upper portion of the keycap 120 is excessively pressed at the lower portion to cause excessive deformation and damage of the elastic body 130; Therefore, the preset distances D1 and D2 need to be smaller than a preset maximum value to control the amount of deformation at the lower center of the keycap 120.

Specifically, the length of the limiting portion 126 extending downward from the lower surface 122a of the key top 122 beyond the bottom surface of the key skirt 124 defines the key stroke, that is, the lower end of the limiting portion 126 moves to press against the bottom plate 110 (or the contact switch layer). The distance that 140 is further pressed against the bottom plate 110 by the switch layer 140 is substantially the button stroke. Moreover, the distance between the limiting portion 126 and the projection range P determines the deformability of the key cap 120 corresponding to the portion of the elastic body 130, thereby defining the degree of influence of the deformation of the key cap 120 on the deformation of the elastic body 130. Therefore, the preset distances D1 and D2 are preferably defined as the position of the limiting portion 126 with respect to the projection range P such that the portion of the key cap 120 corresponding to the elastic body 130 is substantially not deformed without significantly affecting the deformation of the elastic body 130. In other words, the limiting portion 126 is preferably disposed as close as possible to the elastic body 130 to enhance the local rigidity of the key cap 120 to reduce the possibility of local deformation of the key cap 120, but ensure that the elastic body 130 has a predetermined deformation amount without Excessive deformation, and the deformed elastic body 130 does not interfere with the stopper portion 126.

The limiting portion 126 may include a plurality of ribs or studs, and the plurality of ribs or studs are preferably disposed along the circumference of the projection range P. As shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1C, the limiting portion 126 is implemented as six ribs, and is divided into two columns respectively disposed on opposite sides of the projection range P along the long axis direction of the key cap 120 (ie, the X-axis direction), for example, Three ribs are provided on the left and right sides in the Y-axis direction. In another aspect, the limiting portion 126 can include a first limiting portion (ie, a left side rib) and a second limiting portion (a right side rib), and the first limiting portion and the second limiting portion are respectively disposed On the opposite sides of the projection range P. The distance between the first limiting portion and the second limiting portion is determined by the maximum amount of depression of the key top 122 in the direction of the Z-axis when the keycap 120 is pressed. Furthermore, in an embodiment, the distance between the first limiting portion and the second limiting portion is preferably less than or equal to the diameter of the elastic body 130 plus 4 mm. In other words, the distance between the left side rib and the right side rib is preferably less than or equal to the width of the projection range P in the X-axis direction plus 4 mm, for example, D1 + D2 ≦ 4 mm. In this embodiment, the plurality of ribs are preferably symmetrically disposed in the projection range P along the long axis of the key cap 120 (ie, The opposite sides of the X-axis direction are such that the preset distances D1 and D2 on the left and right sides are substantially the same (ie, D1=D2), but not limited thereto. In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4A, the limiting portion 126' of the keycap 120' is implemented as a plurality of studs and is annularly disposed along the circumference of the projection range P. As shown in FIG. 4B, the limiting portion 126" of the keycap 120" is implemented as a limiting ring, and the limiting ring surrounds the projection range P. In the embodiment of FIG. 4A, the distance (eg, radial distance) of the plurality of studs disposed annularly with respect to the center (or centroid) of the projection range P is preferably substantially the same. In the embodiment of FIG. 4B, the position of the center (or centroid) of the limiting ring is preferably the same as the position of the center (or centroid) of the projection range P, but is not limited thereto.

It should be noted that in the embodiment, the limiting portion 126 is disposed on opposite sides of the projection range P in the X-axis direction, but is not limited thereto. According to practical applications, the limiting portion 126 may be disposed only on one side or at the same time on the opposite sides (ie, four sides) of the projection range P on the X-axis and the Y-axis. Moreover, in an embodiment, the preset distances D1, D2 are preferably less than or equal to 2 mm. In another embodiment, the preset distances D1, D2 are preferably greater than or equal to 1 mm. In another embodiment, the preset distances D1 and D2 are preferably greater than or equal to 1 mm and less than or equal to 2 mm, but are not limited thereto.

2A-2B and FIGS. 3A-3B, the operation of the button structure 100 of the present invention is illustrated, wherein FIGS. 2A and 3A are schematic cross-sectional views of the key structure 100 along a tangent to the major axis of the keycap (ie, the X-axis), and 2B and 3B are schematic cross-sectional views of the key structure 100 along a tangent to the short axis of the keycap (ie, the Y-axis). As shown in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, when the button structure 100 is in the unpressed position (ie, the highest position), the top end of the elastic body 130 is abutted against the lower surface 122a of the key top 122 and is substantially deformed, and the elastic body 130 is The lower surface 122a of the key top 122 has a projection range P. As shown in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B, when the keycap 120 is pressed toward the bottom plate 110, the lower surface 122a of the key top 122 is pressed against the elastic body 130 to elastically deform the elastic body 130, the first joint portion 128a, the second portion. The joint portion 128b enters the corresponding concave In the recessed space 112, the limiting portion 126 is pressed against the bottom plate 110 to define the lowest position of the keycap 120. When the key cap 110 is at the lowest position, the elastic body 130 does not exceed the preset distances D1 and D2 after being deformed, so that the elastic body 130 does not extend below the limiting portion 126 after being deformed. Specifically, when the key cap 120 is pressed toward the bottom plate 110, the lower surface 122a of the key top 122 is pressed against the elastic body 130, and the elastic body 130 is elastically deformed, so that the trigger portion 132 abuts the switch layer 140, resulting in a switch. The upper circuit layer of layer 140 is deformed by pressure and electrically coupled to the lower circuit layer to generate a trigger signal. That is, when the key cap 120 is moved downward toward the bottom plate 110 until the limiting portion 126 is pressed against the bottom plate 110 (ie, the lowest position) through the switch layer 140, the key cap 120 can no longer move downward, and the key cap 120 corresponds to the elasticity. The portion of the projection range P of the body 130 is substantially free of deformation and does not have a significant influence on the deformation of the elastic body 130, and the downward movement of the keycap 120 causes the first joint portion 128a and the second joint portion 128b to also move downward. Partially enters the corresponding recessed space 112. Therefore, because the deformation of the limiting portion 126 is safely designed, the reinforcing key cap 120 corresponds to the local structural strength of the elastic body 130, and the deformation possibility of the key cap 120 is reduced, thereby preventing the deformation of the key cap 120 from excessively squeezing the elastic body 130, so that the elastic body The elastic deformation of 130 due to the pressing of the lower surface 122a of the key top 122 is a predetermined amount of deformation without excessive deformation and thereby reducing the chance of damage to the elastomer 130 (or failure of the button structure 100).

It should be noted that in the above embodiments, although the key structure of the present invention is illustrated by a multiple key, the key structure of the present invention may have different aspects according to actual needs. As shown in FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B, in another embodiment, the button structure 200 of the present invention includes a bottom plate 210, a key cap 220, an elastic body 230, a switch layer 240, and an auxiliary lever 260. Similar to the above embodiment, the bottom plate 210 has a recessed space 212; the elastic body 230 is disposed above the bottom plate 210; the switch layer 240 is disposed under the elastic body 130, and is preferably located on the bottom plate 210. The key cap 220 is disposed above the elastic body 230, and the key cap 220 is composed of a key top 222 and a key skirt 224 connected around the key top 222. The key cap 220 has a limiting portion 226 and The joint portion 228 , wherein the limiting portion 226 and the joint portion 228 protrude from the lower surface 222 a of the key top 222 toward the bottom plate 210 , and the joint portion 228 corresponds to the recessed space 212 . In the Z-axis direction, before pressing the keycap 220, the elastic body 230 has a projection range P on the lower surface 222a of the key top 222. The limiting portion 226 is disposed corresponding to the elastic body 230, and the limiting portion 226 has a preset distance (for example, D1, D2) from the projection range P. In other words, the preset distances D1, D2 are set relative to the projection range P, and the elastic body 230 is moved down by the keycap 220 to a distance that produces a safe deformation amount (ie, not excessively deformed). It should be noted that the structural details of the bottom plate 210, the key cap 220, the elastic body 230, the switch layer 240, and the auxiliary lever 260 may correspond to the related description of the embodiment of FIG. 1A, and details are not described herein again. Moreover, depending on the practical application, the auxiliary lever 260 may correspond to the reinforcing rod 162 or the balance rod 164 to enhance the structural strength of the keycap 220 or to enhance the driving force of the keycap 220.

When the keycap 220 is pressed toward the bottom plate 210, the lower surface 222a of the key top 222 is pressed against the elastic body 230 to elastically deform the elastic body 230, the joint portion 228 enters the recessed space 212, and the limiting portion 226 is pressed against the bottom plate. 210 to define the lowest position of the keycap 220. When the key cap 210 is at the lowest position, the elastic body 230 does not exceed the preset distances D1 and D2 after being deformed, so that the elastic body 230 does not extend below the limiting portion 226 after being deformed. That is, when the keycap 220 moves downward toward the bottom plate 210 until the limiting portion 226 is pressed against the bottom plate 210 through the switch layer 240, it can no longer move downward to reach the lowest position of the key cap 220, and the lowering of the key cap 220 The moving driving joint 228 also moves downward to partially enter the recessed space 212. At this time, since the deformation of the limiting portion 226 is safely designed to strengthen the local structural strength of the corresponding elastic body 230 of the keycap 220, the deformation possibility of the keycap 220 is reduced, and the elastic body 230 is subjected to the lower surface 222a of the key top 222. The elastic deformation produced by the pressing is at a preset amount of deformation without excessive deformation and thus reducing the chance of damage.

As shown in FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B, in another embodiment, the button structure 300 of the present invention is shown. The bottom plate 310, the key cap 320, the elastic body 330, the switch layer 340, and the support unit 350 are included. The bottom plate 310 has a first coupling portion 314. The key cap 320 is movably disposed above the bottom plate 310, and the key cap 320 is composed of a key top 322 and a key skirt 324 connected around the key top 322. The key cap 320 has a limiting portion 326 and a second coupling portion 327. The limiting portion 326 and the second coupling portion 327 protrude from the lower surface 322a of the key top 322 toward the bottom plate 310. The support unit 350 is disposed between the key cap 320 and the bottom plate 310, and the two ends of the support unit 350 are movably coupled to the second coupling portion 327 and the first coupling portion 314, respectively. The elastic body 330 is disposed between the keycap 320 and the bottom plate 310. The elastomer 330 has a projection range P on the lower surface 322a of the key top 322. The limiting portion 326 is disposed corresponding to the elastic body 330, and the limiting portion 326 has a preset distance (for example, D1, D2) from the projection range P. The switch layer 340 is disposed below the elastomer 230 and preferably on the bottom plate 310. It should be noted that the structural details of the bottom plate 310, the key cap 320, the elastic body 330, the switch layer 340, and the support unit 350 may correspond to the related description of the embodiment of FIG. 1A, and details are not described herein again.

When the key cap 320 is pressed toward the bottom plate 310, the lower surface 322a of the key top 322 is pressed against the elastic body 330 to elastically deform the elastic body 330, thereby triggering the switch layer 340 to generate a trigger signal, and the limiting portion 326 transmits the switch. Layer 340 is pressed against bottom plate 310 to define the lowest position of keycap 320. When the key cap 320 is at the lowest position, the elastic body 330 does not exceed the preset distances D1 and D2 after being deformed, so that the elastic body 330 does not extend below the limiting portion 326 after being deformed. That is, when the key cap 320 is moved downward toward the bottom plate 310 until the limiting portion 326 is pressed against the bottom plate 310 through the switch layer 340, the key cap 320 can no longer move downward. At this time, due to the deformation design of the limiting portion 326, the elastic deformation of the elastic body 330 due to the pressing of the lower surface 322a of the key top 322 is a preset deformation amount without excessive deformation and thus reduction. The chance of damage.

In addition, in an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the length of the first joint portion 128a of the reinforcing rod 162 connecting the inner side is preferably greater than or equal to the second joint of the balance rod 164 connecting the outer side. The length of the portion 128b. That is, the first joint portion 128a disposed on the inner side of the lower surface 122a of the key top 122 has a length greater than or equal to the outer joint portion 128b.

In addition, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1A, the elastic body 130 is correspondingly disposed at a central position of the keycap 120, and the two supporting units 150 are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the long axis direction of the keycap 120, that is, The elastic body 130 is disposed on opposite sides of the X-axis, but is not limited thereto. In the embodiment of FIGS. 6A and 6B, the support unit 350 preferably surrounds the elastic body 330. For example, when the supporting unit 350 is a scissor supporting unit pivotally connected to the first bracket 352 and the second bracket 354, the elastic body 330 may be disposed in the frame opening of the first bracket 352 as the inner bracket.

Compared with the prior art, the present invention provides a button structure with a deformation safety design, which defines a preset distance with respect to the elastic body by the limiting portion on the key cap, which not only strengthens the local rigidity of the key cap, but also The pressing stroke can be defined to effectively reduce the deformation of the keycap and cause excessive deformation of the elastomer, thereby reducing the chance of reducing elastomer damage (or button structure failure).

The present invention has been described by the above embodiments, but the above embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to be limiting. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments specifically described herein may have other modifications of the embodiments. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is intended to cover such modifications and are only limited by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (11)

A button structure comprising: a bottom plate having a recessed space, the bottom plate extending along an X-axis and a Y-axis plane, the X-axis, the Y-axis and a Z-axis being perpendicular to each other; an elastic body disposed on the bottom plate And a key cap is disposed above the elastic body, the key cap is formed by a key top and a key skirt connected to the top of the key top, the key cap has a joint portion and a limiting portion, the combination And the limiting portion protrudes from the lower surface of the key top toward the bottom plate, the joint portion corresponding to the recessed space, in the Z-axis direction, before the key cap is pressed, the elastic body is on the lower surface of the key top Having a projection range, the limiting portion is disposed corresponding to the elastic body, and the limiting portion has a predetermined distance from the projection range; wherein the lower surface of the key top is when the key cap is pressed toward the bottom plate Pressing the elastic body to elastically deform the elastic body, the joint portion enters the recessed space, and the limiting portion presses against the bottom plate to define a lowest position of the keycap, when the key cap is at the lowest position The elastic body does not exceed the preset distance after being deformed. The elastomer does not extend to the lower portion of the stopper after deformation. A key structure includes: a bottom plate having a first coupling portion extending along an X-axis and a Y-axis plane, the X-axis, the Y-axis and a Z-axis being perpendicular to each other; a key cap The key cap is configured to be disposed above the bottom plate. The key cap is formed by a key top and a key skirt connected to the top of the key top. The key cap has a second coupling portion and a limiting portion, and the second coupling The portion and the limiting portion protrude from the lower surface of the key top toward the bottom plate; a supporting unit is disposed between the key cap and the bottom plate, and the two ends of the supporting unit are respectively Actively connecting the second coupling portion and the first coupling portion; and an elastic body disposed between the key cap and the bottom plate, in the Z-axis direction, before pressing the key cap, the elastic body The lower surface of the key top has a projection range, the limiting portion is disposed corresponding to the elastic body, and the limiting portion has a predetermined distance from the projection range, wherein when the key cap is pressed toward the bottom plate The lower surface of the key top is pressed against the elastic body to elastically deform the elastic body, and the limiting portion is pressed against the bottom plate to define a lowest position of the key cap when the key cap is at the lowest position. After the elastic body is deformed, the preset distance is not exceeded, so that the elastic body does not extend below the limiting portion after being deformed. The button structure of claim 1, wherein the recessed space is formed by a hole or a groove formed in the bottom plate. The key structure of claim 1 or 2, wherein the predetermined distance is less than or equal to 2 mm in the X-axis direction. The button structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the preset distance is greater than or equal to 1 mm in the X-axis direction. The button structure of claim 1 or 2, wherein the limiting portion includes a first limiting portion and a second limiting portion, wherein the first limiting portion and the second limit are in the X-axis direction The first limiting portion and the second limiting portion are respectively less than or equal to the diameter of the elastic body plus 4 mm, and the first limiting portion and the second limiting portion are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the projection range. The distance from each other determines the maximum amount of depression of the key in the direction of the Z-axis when the keycap is pressed. The button structure of claim 1 or 2, wherein the limiting portion comprises a plurality of ribs or studs, and the plurality of ribs or studs are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the projection range in the X-axis direction. The button structure as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the limiting portion is a limiting ring, and the limiting ring system is Surround this projection range. The button structure of claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary lever, wherein the auxiliary lever is coupled to the joint portion, and the joint portion is closer to the key skirt than the limit portion. The button structure of claim 9, wherein the auxiliary lever includes a reinforcing rod and a balance bar, the joint portion includes a first joint portion and a second joint portion respectively connected to the reinforcing rod and the balance rod, the balance The rod is disposed on the outer side of the reinforcing rod and connected between the keycap and the bottom plate, wherein the length of the first joint portion is greater than or equal to the length of the second joint portion. The button structure of claim 2, wherein the support unit surrounds the elastic body.