Structure of button for electronic product

A structure of button for an electronic product has an upper lid, a chassis having a switch and a parallel bar set, which positioned between the upper lid and the chassis, such that the upper lid can move down upon being depressed by an external force to activate the switch of the chassis and can substantially return to its original position upon removing the external force. The parallel bar set has a base, two supporting racks, positioned parallel to each other above the base, wherein a side of one of the two supporting racks is connected to a positioning bar and the positioning bar is buckled to the base, the positioning bar and two supporting racks are positioned between the chassis and the upper lid to enable the upper lid to move towards the chassis under the influence of a movement of the parallel bar set.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. The Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a structure of button for an electronic product, and more particularly to a structure of button comprising a parallel bar set positioned between an upper lid and a chassis such that the length of a positioning bar of the parallel bar set limits the moving distance between the lid and the chassis.

2. Description of Related Art

Presently, the well-developed electronic technology produced advanced electronic products that provide convenience in our daily activities. Most electronic products require an input device for enabling the user to input letters, numbers or commands enjoy the functions provided by the electronic products. Examples of such input devices include mouse, keyboard or joystick and light beam gun for games. The development of these products later led to development, for instance, from buttons on the keyboard for the conventional desktop computer to the buttons for the notebook computer. The notebook computer being lighter, thinner, shorter and smaller than a desktop computer, the structure of the buttons of the notebook computer cannot be same as the ones applied in the keyboard of the desktop computer. Extensive research and development resulted into invention of a new scissor structure and new method of installing the buttons on the scissor structure that can be applied to a notebook computer. Referring toFIGS. 7 and 8, an exploded view and a side view of a conventional scissors structure of a button for an electronic product are respectively shown. As shown, the button comprises a first supporting rack A and a second supporting rack B. The second supporting rack B has an axle B1, which is axially fitted into the groove A1of the first supporting rack A. The sliding element A2of the first supporting rack A and the sliding element B2of the second supporting rack B are fitted into the sliding groove C1of the base C and the sliding groove D1of the cap D respectively to position the securing element A3of the first supporting rack A into the axial hole C2of the base3and the securing element B3of the second supporting rack B into the axial hole D2of the cap D axially. When the user press the cap D, the cap D will come down with the force of the first and second supporting racks A and B.

However, there are several defects with the conventional scissors structure, the buttons for the scissors structure and the installation method described as follows.1. The first and second supporting racks A and B of the conventional buttons have a fixed the moving distance between the base C and cap D, thus it is difficult make any modification for fitting various specification of a variety of electronic products. Accordingly, a specific structure is designed for each product, and therefore the manufacturing cost is substantially increased.2. The scissor structure of the conventional button is consisted of the first and second supporting racks A and B, the axle B1and the groove A1will be dislodged due the friction after repeated pressing operation causing dislocation and may jam up the first and second supporting racks A and B.3. The cap D of the conventional button requires a sliding groove D2for allowing the first supporting rack A to move when the cap D comes down, thus the size of the cap D is limited and cannot be smaller and therefore cannot fit the specification of the electronic products of the present trend of being lighter, thinner, shorter and smaller.

Therefore, how to solve the above defects of the conventional design has become an important issue for the manufacturer in the field.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, in the view of the foregoing, the present inventor makes a detailed study of related art to evaluate and consider, and uses years of accumulated experience in this field, and through several experiments, to create a structure of a button for electronic products. The present invention provides an innovated cost effective structure of a button for electronic products, which structure can fit for a variety of electronic products that fit in the present trend of being lighter, thinner, shorter and smaller.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the length of the positioning bar is adapted to limit the distance between the upper lid and the chassis, and therefore the distance between the upper lid and the chassis can be adjusted by adjusting the length of positioning bar. In other words, for applying the structure of the button of the present invention an electronic product of a particular specification, the positioning bar of a desirable length can be selected to meet the specification of the electronic product, and thus need for replacement of all of the components of the button as in the case conventional art can be effectively avoided. Accordingly, the structure of the button of the present invention can be applied to a broad range of electronic products. Further, because the distance between the upper lid and the chassis can be shortened as desired, and therefore it can meet with the present trend of lighter, thinner, shorter and smaller.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the supporting racks are used for connecting the upper lid and the chassis, and therefore there will be no friction and thereby the jamming of the supporting racks can be effectively eliminated.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the supporting racks between the upper lid and the chassis are directly axially assembled so that the size of the upper lid is not limited and can be small as possible to fit the specification of various electronic products of the present trend of being lighter, thinner, shorter and smaller.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

InFIG. 1, an exploded view of a structure of a button for an electronic product according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown. The structure of the button comprises an upper lid1, a chassis2and a parallel bar set3.

A receiving space11having a plurality of protruded axial holes111is formed above upper lid1.

A switch24is disposed on a surface of the chassis2, wherein the switch24is covered by a resilient element21. The switch24comprises tracks22on the two sides thereof. Each track22has an open buckling element23set on a side of a buckling groove231is formed, and the buckling groove231is conjoint to a sliding face232.

The parallel bar set3comprises a base31having a bottom portion311. Two axial portions312are formed on two sides of the bottom portion311, wherein each axial portion312has a groove3121on a side thereof. The groove3121has a stopping portion3122at a side thereof. The above axial portion312has axial holes313, for example, open sided holes as shown inFIG. 1, at the two ends thereof. Two supporting racks32having axial portions321at the two sides thereof are positioned on the base31. The two ends of the axial portions321respectively comprise an axle3211. A bar322is positioned on an axial portion321of one of the supporting racks32. Furthermore, the base31has a positioning bar33at a side thereof. The positioning bar33has a positioning axial hole331, for example, an open sided hole as shown inFIG. 1, at a distal end and a positioning axle332at a primal end thereof.

Now the assembly of the structure of the button of the present invention is described below with reference toFIGS. 1,2and3.FIGS. 1,2and3respectively show an exploded view showing a structure of a button for an electronic product according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and an exploded view showing while and after assembly of the structure of the button for an electronic product according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the grooves3121positioned at the two sides of the base31is slid into the track22until the stopping portion3122formed at a end of the groove3121is supported against the track22for positioning. Next, the axles3211formed on the two sides of the supporting rack32positioned into the axial hole313formed on the two sides of the base31and the axial holes111of the upper lid1such that the upper lid1is supported against an upper flange of the resilient element21formed on the chassis2. Next, the positioning axle332of the positioning bar33is buckled into the buckling groove231of the chassis2. Finally, the bar322of the supporting rack32is fitted into the positioning axial hole331of the positioning bar33to complete the assembly of the structure of the button of present invention.

Now, the working of the structure of the button of the present invention will be described with reference toFIGS. 4 and 5.FIGS. 4 and 5, respectively show a sectional side view of the structure of the button and a sectional side view while pressing the button of the structure of the button according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown, when a user depresses the button by pressing onto the upper lid1, the supporting rack32of the parallel bar set3will move downwardly making the upper lid1press against the resilient element21causing it to elastically deform and come in contact with the switch24. Meanwhile, the shape of the resilient element21can be restored due to its elastic property. The positioning axle332, which is being buckled into the buckling groove231is moved by the sliding face232conjoining to the buckling groove231under the influence of the pressing force of the user. And when the user releases the upper lid1, the upper lid1is substantially restored to its original by the elastic property of the resilient element21.

Furthermore, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the positioning axle hole331and the positioning axle332of the positioning bar33are used to limit the extent of the movement between the upper lid1and the chassis2, therefore this makes it possible to tailor the length of the positioning bar33to adjust the range of the movement between the upper lid1and the chassis2instead of changing or replacing any other components. Furthermore, a receiving space at the distal end formed on two sides of the supporting rack32, a spring323may be disposed in the receiving space to enable the upper lid1return to its original position after pressing force is removed (as shown in FIG.6).

Now, a process of making the structure of the button of the present is described below with reference toFIGS. 1 and 2. The structure of the button of the present invention can be formed in a two-step injection mold process or the components making the parallel bar set3assembled into an integral unit to form the structure of button. First, a suitable material is injected through the two entrances of the mold to form two supporting racks32. Next, the mold is turned for injecting a suitable material through another two entrances of the mold to form the base31and the positioning bar33. Meanwhile, the axles3211on the axial portion321of the two supporting racks32will be positioned in the axial hole313of the base31and the positioning axial hole331of the positioning bar33. Thus the assembly process can be accomplished by a simple method.

The structure of the button of the present invention has at least the following advantages:1. The present invention uses the positioning axial hole331and the positioning axle332of the positioning bar33to limit the movement between the upper lid1and the chassis2. This arrangement allows adjustment of the length of the positioning bar33to adjust range of the movement between the upper lid1and the chassis2. Therefore, the range of the movement between the upper lid1and the chassis2can be adjusted to a desired range by tailoring the length of the positioning bar33. Thus the structure of the button of the present invention fits the present trend for making lighter, thinner, shorter and smaller electronic products.2. The two supporting racks32is fitted to the upper lid1and the base31respectively, in a manner that there is no friction between the two supporting tracks32so that jamming of the supporting racks32after repeated depression of the upper lid1can be effectively eliminated.3. The supporting racks32are fitted directly to the upper lid1and the chassis2so that the size of the upper lid1can be as small as possible so that it can be applied in various electronic products.4. The structure of the button of the present invention can be formed in a two-step process making the parallel bar set3to assemble into an integral unit and therefore the cost can be effectively reduced.