Keyboard

A keyboard includes a casing, a retaining frame, and a keyboard module. The casing is made from a metallic sheet and has upper and lower parts. The lower part is bent from front and rear ends of the upper part so as to define a gap between the upper and lower parts and two opposite side openings. The casing is formed with a central hole extending through the upper part and in spatial communication with the gap and the side openings. The retaining frame is received detachably in the gap of the casing, has a loop-shaped frame body disposed around the central hole of the casing, and is insertable through one of the side openings of the casing into the gap of the casing. The keyboard module is received in the central hole of the casing and engages the frame body of the retaining frame in a tongue-and-groove engaging manner.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a keyboard, more particularly to a keyboard having a low profile.

2. Description of the Related Art

FIGS. 1 and 2illustrate a conventional keyboard including a solid aluminum plate1, a keyboard module2disposed above the solid aluminum plate1, and a plastic base plate3disposed under the solid aluminum plate1. The base plate3is provided with a hollow protrusion301for receiving a printed circuit board (not shown) and a USB port (not shown). A metallic base plate201of the keyboard module2is secured to the solid aluminum plate1by laser welding. The plastic base plate3is adhesively attached to the solid aluminum plate1by an adhesive (not shown). Although the conventional keyboard has a low profile, i.e., it is thin, it is disadvantageous in that the aforesaid laser welding increases the manufacturing costs and that the aforesaid adhesive attachment reduces the manufacturing throughput in production of the keyboard.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a keyboard that can overcome the aforesaid drawbacks associated with the prior art.

According to this invention, there is provided a keyboard that comprises a casing, a retaining frame, and a keyboard module. The casing is made from a metallic sheet and has upper and lower parts. The upper part has front and rear ends opposite to each other in a first direction. The lower part is bent from the front and rear ends of the upper part so as to define a gap between the upper and lower parts and two opposite side openings of the casing opposite to each other in a second direction transverse to the first direction. The casing is formed with a central hole extending through the upper part and in spatial communication with the gap and the side openings. The retaining frame is received detachably in the gap of the casing and has a loop-shaped frame body disposed around the central hole of the casing. The retaining frame is insertable through one of the side openings of the casing into the gap of the casing. The keyboard module is received in the central hole of the casing, engages the frame body of the retaining frame in a tongue-and-groove engaging manner, and has a plurality of pressable key caps protruding outwardly through the central hole of the casing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring toFIGS. 3 to 7, the preferred embodiment of a keyboard according to this invention includes a casing10, a retaining frame20, a keyboard module30, a circuit board assembly40, a plurality of anti-slip pads50, and two legs60.

The casing10is made from a metallic sheet and has upper and lower parts11,12. The upper part11has front and rear ends111,112opposite to each other in a first direction (X). The lower part12is bent from the front and rear ends111,112of the upper part11so as to define a gap13between the upper and lower parts11,12and two opposite side openings14of the casing10opposite to each other in a second direction (Y) transverse to the first direction (X). The casing10is formed with a rectangular central hole15extending through the upper part11and in spatial communication with the gap13and the side openings14.

The upper part11of the casing10further has a plurality of display regions113, each of which is disposed between the front end111of the upper part11and a periphery of the central hole15and is formed with a plurality of holes114(seeFIG. 8) cooperatively defining a predetermined display pattern.

The lower part12of the casing10has first and second portions121,122extending and bent from the front and rear ends111,112of the upper part11of the casing10, respectively. Each of the first and second portions121,122of the lower part12has a free end123,124. The free ends123,124of the first and second portions121,122of the lower part12are stacked one above the other. In this embodiment, the free end124of the second portion122of the lower part12is stacked above the free end123of the first portion121of the lower part12.

The lower part12of the casing10further has a recess125indented inwardly from the free end124of the second portion122of the lower part12and disposed below and in spatial communication with the central hole15of the casing10, and two retaining grooves126respectively disposed at two opposite sides of the recess125and opposite to each other in the second direction (Y). In addition, the lower part12of the casing10is formed with a plurality of first through-holes127disposed adjacent to the rear end112of the upper part11of the casing10, and two second through-holes128disposed adjacent to the front end111of the upper part11of the casing10.

Referring toFIGS. 3 to 9, the retaining frame20is received detachably in the gap13of the casing10and has a rectangular loop-shaped frame body21disposed around the central hole15of the casing10. The retaining frame20is insertable through one of the side openings14of the casing10into the gap13of the casing10.

The frame body21of the retaining frame20has a plurality of flexible arms211each of which extends substantially in a third direction (Z) transverse to the first and second directions (X, Y), has a free end212, and is bendable toward and away from the keyboard module30. The frame body21further has a plurality of first retaining tongues213protruding from the free ends212of the flexible arms211in a transverse direction relative to the third direction (Z) (seeFIG. 9), respectively, and two second retaining tongues214protruding therefrom in the first direction (X) and engaging the retaining grooves126of the lower part12of the casing10(seeFIG. 12), respectively. The frame body21is formed with a plurality of blind holes215aligned with the first through-holes127of the lower part12of the casing10in the third direction (Z), respectively, and two accommodating holes216aligned with the second through-holes128of the lower part12of the casing10in the third direction (Z), respectively.

The retaining frame20is formed with a storage hole22extending through the frame body21. The retaining frame20is provided with a lens23disposed in the storage hole22of the retaining frame20and having a plurality of light scattering elements231(seeFIG. 8) aligned with the display regions113of the upper part11of the casing10in the third direction (Z), respectively.

The keyboard module30is received in the central hole15of the casing10, engages the frame body21of the retaining frame20in a tongue-and-groove engaging manner, and has a circuit board31(seeFIG. 8), a plurality of pressable key caps32protruding outwardly through the central hole15of the casing10, and a peripheral wall33surrounding the key caps32and formed with a plurality of retaining grooves331engaging the first retaining tongues213of the frame body21of the retaining frame20, respectively.

Referring toFIGS. 3 to 8, the circuit board assembly40includes a printed circuit board41disposed in the storage hole22of the retaining frame20below the lens23of the retaining frame20, a transmission member42electrically connected to the circuit board31of the keyboard module30, and a fastener43for fastening the transmission member42to the printed circuit board41such that the transmission member42is electrically connected to and extends from the printed circuit board41into the recess125of the lower part12of the casing10. Referring toFIG. 8, the printed circuit board41is provided with a plurality of light emitting elements411thereon that are aligned with the light scattering elements231of the lens23in the third direction (Z), respectively.

Referring toFIGS. 3 to 7and11, the anti-slip pads50are fitted securely in the blind holes215of the frame body21of the retaining frame20, and extend outwardly through the first through-holes127of the lower part12of the casing10, respectively.

Referring toFIGS. 3 to 7and10, the legs60respectively extend into the accommodating holes216in the frame body21of the retaining frame20, are pivoted to the frame body21, and are rotatable relative to the frame body21between a first position (see the solid lines inFIG. 10), in which the legs60are fully received in the accommodating holes216of the frame body21, and a second position (see the dotted lines inFIG. 10), in which the legs60extend outwardly through the accommodating holes216of the frame body21and the second through-holes128of the lower part12of the casing10, respectively. Each of the legs60has a free end62provided with an anti-slip block63.

Referring toFIGS. 3 and 8to11, in assembly, the printed circuit board41is disposed in the storage hole22of the retaining frame20first, the retaining frame20is then inserted through one of the side openings14of the casing10into the gap13of the casing10, followed by inserting the keyboard module30into the central hole15of the casing10with the transmission member42being received in the recess125of the lower part12of the casing10. The legs60are subsequently pivoted to the frame body21, and the anti-slip pads50are fitted securely in the blind holes215of the frame body21of the retaining frame20, respectively.

The light emitted from each of the light emitting elements411on the printed circuit board41is scattered by the respective one of the light scattering elements231of the lens23, and is transmitted through the holes114of the respective one of the display regions113of the upper part11of the casing10so as to show the working status of the keyboard.

In sum, assembly of the casing10, the retaining frame20and the keyboard module30into the keyboard is easy and fast. Since the aforesaid laser welding and adhesive attachment employed in the prior art are not needed in assembly of the keyboard of this invention, the manufacturing costs can be reduced and the manufacturing throughput can be increased in the production of the keyboard.