COMMAND GENERATION STRUCTURE FOR THIN KEYBOARDS

A command generation structure for thin keyboards includes a circuit board and a frame stacked over the circuit board. The circuit board has a plurality of keyboard command portions to receive contact to generate command signals. The frame includes a plurality of housing zones corresponding to the keyboard command portions, at least two connection arms extended from any two diagonal corner positions of each housing zone towards the keyboard command portion, and at least one press member connected to the connection arms and depressible to contact the keyboard command portion. Each connection arm has at least one first connecting section connected to one corner position, at least one second connecting section connected to the press member, and an elastic section which bridges the first connecting section and second connecting section and has at least one stress bend spot.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Please refer toFIGS. 1 through 4, the present invention aims to provide a command generation structure for a thin keyboard to save the driven mechanism used in the conventional command generation structure to further reduce total thickness of the keyboard. The command generation structure of the invention comprises a circuit board1and a frame2stacked over the circuit board1. The circuit board1has a plurality of keyboard command portions11to receive contact and generate command signals. The frame2includes a plurality of housing zones21corresponding to the keyboard command portions11. Furthermore, each housing zone21has a plurality of corner positions211. The frame2further includes at least two connection arms22extended from any two diagonal corner positions211and211aof each housing zone21towards the keyboard command portion11, and at least one press member23connected to the connection arms22and depressible to contact the keyboard command portion11. Each connection arm22has at least one first connecting section221connected to the corner position211, at least one second connecting section222connected to the press member23, and an elastic section223which bridges the first connecting section221and second connecting section222and has at least one stress bend spot A. Also referring toFIG. 4, when the connection arms22do not receive forces to be deformed, namely the press member23does not move towards the circuit board1, the connection arms22support the press member23to allow the press member23to suspend from the keyboard command portion11at a selected distance without contacting therewith, hence no command signal is generated. In the event that the press member23is depressed by an external force to move towards the circuit board1, the connection arms22are driven and deformed as shown inFIG. 4. The second connecting section222is moved towards the circuit board1. During the depressing process a stress is generated which is dissipated at the stress bend spot A of the elastic section223. When the external force is absent, the elastic section223returns to the original non-depressed state through the stress bend spot A.

Please refer toFIGS. 1 through 4again, the command generation structure further includes an elastic support member3interposed between the circuit board1and frame2corresponding to one keyboard command portion11. When the press member23is depressed to move towards the circuit board1, the elastic support member3is pressed by the press member23to generate deformation to allow the keyboard command portion11on the circuit board1to generate a command signal. When the external force exerting to the press member23is absent, the elastic support member3pushes the press member23through its own elastic return force to the original non-depressed condition. More specifically, the elastic support member3can include a trigger portion31depressible by the press member23to contact the circuit board1to generate the command signal. The elastic support member3can be formed in many styles, such as a sponge3a(referring toFIG. 5), an elastic reed (not shown in the drawings) or an elastic element3b(referring toFIG. 6) used in the conventional keyboard structure, The sponge3acan be provided at a local location or formed in an entire sheet. Aside from the embodiments previously discussed that the elastic support member3has the trigger portion31, the elastic support member3also has a plurality of bracing petals32which are integrally extended from the trigger portion31and depressible by the press member23to produce deformation and provide the elastic return force. In this embodiment, the elastic support member3contains the bracing petals32as shown inFIG. 2. In addition, the press member23can further include a butting portion231corresponding to each keyboard command portion11to be in contact therewith when the press member23is depressed and moved towards the circuit board1.

Also referring toFIG. 2, the invention can further include at least one keycap4corresponding to each press member23for coupling thereon, The keycap4provides a greater press area to facilitate user's fast keystrokes to generate the command signals. In addition, the keycap4further has a character symbol41coated on the surface to indicate each press member23. In practice, the command signal generated by each press member23is different. The character symbol41allows users to identify each press member23. Moreover, the character symbol41acan also be coated on the surface of the press member23for indication thereof as shown inFIG. 7. Please refer toFIG. 8, the keycap4can further be light permeable. Then a sandwiched plate42can be provided and interposed between the keycap4and press member23and marked with a character symbol41bprinted thereon for indication. The light permeability of the keycap4can reveal the character symbol41b.

Please refer toFIGS. 1 through 4again, the command generation structure of the invention can further include a lighting structure5which includes a lighting module (not shown in the drawings) and a baseboard51corresponding to the circuit board1. For instance, the lighting module can be a LED module or other electroluminescent lighting modules. In addition, the lighting structure5can further include a light guide plate52located between the keycap4and baseboard51. The lighting module can be positioned in many ways. The light guide plate52can be positioned corresponding to the lighting module, such as stacked over the baseboard51or circuit board1. Moreover, the circuit board1also includes at least one light permeable zone12corresponding to each housing zone21and a light impermeable zone13, and light transmitted by the lighting module can pass only through the light permeable zone12to generate illumination. Furthermore, the frame2can further include, an optical mask layer24to confine the light to pass merely through the housing zones21. The optical mask layer24can be provided in many ways, such as an optical mask plate located on the frame2or made of an optical mask material coated onto the frame2. It is to be noted that the press member23discussed in the previous embodiments is not limited to what have been depicted in the drawings, but can be formed in other styles as desired, such as the press member23aon the frame2shown inFIG. 9.

As a conclusion, the command generation structure of the invention includes a circuit board and a frame stacked over the circuit board. The circuit board has a plurality of keyboard command portions to receive contact and generate command signals. The frame includes a plurality of housing zones corresponding to the keyboard command portions, at least two connection arms extended from any two diagonal corner positions of each housing zone towards the keyboard command portion, and at least one press member connected to the connection arms and depressible to contact keyboard command portion. Each connection arm includes at least one first connecting section connected to the corner position, at least one second connecting section connected to the press member, and an elastic section which bridges the first and second connecting sections and has at least one stress bend spot. The connection arms replace the driven mechanism in the conventional keyboard to generate the same effect thereof. Compared with the conventional keyboard structure, the keyboard of the invention has a thinner total thickness and is not constrained by the height of the driven mechanism, therefore is adaptable to more products aiming at thinness and lightness.

While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been set forth for the purpose of disclosure, they are not the limitation of the invention, modifications of the disclosed embodiments of the invention as well as other embodiments thereof may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all embodiments which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.