Patent ID: 9720516
Date: 2017-08-01
CPC Classifications: G06F,H01H,Y10T

Claim:
1. A method for improving key response comprising: providing a keyboard with a plurality of individually actuatable keys; configuring at least some of the individually actuatable keys using a viscoelasticity model; and providing the at least some of the individually actuatable keys with an elastic component and a viscous component, the elastic component providing an elastic component force, the elastic component force occurring substantially immediately upon application of a stress load to a respective key and relaxing substantially immediately upon release of the stress load from the respective key, the stress load being applied by a pressing force from a user actuating the respective key, the viscous component providing a viscous component force, the viscous component force growing with time to a maximum viscous component force, the viscous component force being applied as long as a stress is applied to the respective key; and wherein, the stress load necessary to displace the viscous component decays exponentially with time as the elastic component is displaced at a rate dependent of an applied stress strain relationship.