Abstract:
A keypad assembly includes a keypad, fixing bracket, and a fixing member. The fixing member fixes the keypad to the fixing bracket. The fixing bracket includes two support portions, a fixing portion, and at least two resilient portions. The resilient portions interconnect the support portions and the fixing portions. The keycap fixes on the fixing portion. The resilient portions are capable of elastically deforming and generate elastic restoring force to the keycap.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is related to two co-pending U.S. patent applications (Attorney Docket No. US35051, US35052), all entitled “KEYPAD ASSEMBLY AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE USING THE SAME”, and the inventor is Bin Dai. The above-identified applications have the same assignee as the instant application and are concurrently filed herewith. The disclosures of the above-identified applications are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Technical Field 
         [0003]    The present disclosure relates to data input, and particularly, to a keypad assembly used in an electronic device. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Electronic devices often provide a keypad on a panel thereof, thus allowing control input for a power source or other component by the user. 
         [0006]    A commonly-used keypad assembly is located on a housing of an electronic device. The housing defines a mounting port in a rear surface of the housing. The keypad assembly includes a keycap, a key switch, and an arched spring. The keycap is received in the mounting port, and a protrusion is arranged at a bottom of the keycap. The key switch includes a contact portion. The arched spring is sleeved on the protrusion and resists the housing. The protrusion resists a top of the spring. When the keycap is depressed, the spring is thereby elastically deformed, such that the protrusion presses the contact portion. When the keycap is released, the spring returns to its relaxed state and resists the protrusion. However, the keypad assembly has a larger volume because of the protrusion and the spring. 
         [0007]    Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout several views, and all the views are schematic. 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is a partial, assembled, isometric view of one embodiment of an electronic device which includes a housing and a keypad assembly mounted on the housing, and the keypad assembly includes a fixing bracket and a keycap fixed on the fixing bracket. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is an exploded, isometric view of the electronic device shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is similar to  FIG. 2 , but viewed from another aspect. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is an isometric view of the fixing bracket shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a cross-section taken along line V-V of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , an embodiment of an electronic device  100  includes a housing  101  and a keypad assembly  103  located on the housing  101 . In the illustrated embodiment, the keypad assembly  103  is a main menu button and the housing  101  is a planar glass plate. 
         [0015]    The keypad assembly  103  includes a keycap  20 , a fixing bracket  30 , a first fixing member  40 , and a second fixing member  50 . The first fixing member  40  fixes the keycap  20  to the fixing bracket  30 . The second fixing member  50  fixes the fixing bracket  30  to the housing  101 . 
         [0016]    The keycap  20  includes a top cover  21 , a filling portion  23 , and a bottom cover  25 . The top cover  21  includes an interface  212 , a biasing surface  213 , and a receiving frame  215 . The biasing surface  213  is defined on a surface of the top cover  21  opposite to the interface  212 . The receiving frame  215  is substantially rectangular, and located on a middle portion of the interface  212 . In the illustrated embodiment, the biasing surface  213  is a concave depression defined in a side surface of the top cover  21 . The filling portion  23  is received in the receiving frame  215 . The bottom cover  25  is substantially circular, and fixed on the interface  212 . The bottom cover  25  defines a through hole  251 , corresponding to the receiving frame  215 , in a center of the bottom cover  25 . The top cover  21 , the filling portion  23  and the bottom cover  25  are respectively made of different materials to optimize presentation and wear. In this embodiment, the filling portion  23  and the bottom cover  25  are made of black plastic. The top cover  21  is made of a transparent plastic resistant to wear, and integrally formed with the filling portion  23  and the bottom cover  25  by bi-color injection molding. 
         [0017]    Referring to  FIGS. 2 through 4 , the fixing bracket  30  includes two support portions  31 , a fixing portion  32 , two connecting portions  34 , and four resilient portions  35 . Opposite ends of each connecting portion  34  are connected to the two support portions  31  via the resilient portions  35 , such that the two support portions  31 , two connecting portions  34  and the four resilient portions  35  cooperatively form a substantially rectangular frame. The four resilient portions  35  are all substantially Z-shaped, such that the connecting portions  34  are projected out from the support portions  31 . The fixing portion  32  is located on a middle portion of the substantially rectangular frame, and opposite sides of the fixing portion  32  are connected to a middle portion of the connecting portions  34 . The fixing portion  32  defines a through hole  321  in the center of the fixing portion  32 . 
         [0018]    In the illustrated embodiment, the first fixing member  40  and the second fixing member  50  are double-sided adhesive tape. Shape of the fixing member  40  is the same as that of the fixing portion  32  of the support bracket  30 . Shape of the second fixing member  50  is the same as that of the support portion  31  of the fixing bracket  30 . 
         [0019]    The housing  101  defines a mounting port  102  in a middle portion of the housing  101 . The top cover  21  of the keypad  20  is slidably received in the mounting port  102 . 
         [0020]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  5 , during assembly of the keypad assembly  103 , the first fixing member  40  is fixed to the fixing portion  32  of the fixing bracket  30 . Then, the fixing portion  32  of the fixing bracket  30  is fixed to the bottom cover  25  of the keycap  20 . The filling portion  23  is received in the through hole  321  of the fixing bracket  30 . The second fixing member  50  is fixed the support portion  31 , and the support portion  31  is fixed to the housing  101 . The top cover  21  is received in the mounting port  102 . 
         [0021]    When the top cover  21  of the keycap  20  is depressed, the top cover  21  slides toward the mounting port  102  of the housing  101 , such that the resilient portions  35  are elastically deformed. When the top cover  21  of the keycap  20  is released and return the keycap  20  to its original position, the resilient portions  35  return to a relaxed state and resist the keycap  20 . Thereby, the resilient portions  35  can provide an elastic restoring force to the keycap  20 , and without requiring additional dedicated resilient member and protrusion to be located on the keycap  20 , and the occupied volume of the keypad assembly  100  is thereby decreased. 
         [0022]    It is to be understood that the first fixing member  40  and the second fixing member  50  can also be glue, bolts, or a plurality of latching structures. The connecting portions  34  can also be omitted, whereby only two resilient portions  35  are present, directly interconnecting the support portions  31  and the fixing portion  32 . 
         [0023]    Finally, while the present disclosure has been described with reference to particular embodiments, the description is illustrative of the disclosure and is not to be construed as limiting the disclosure. Therefore, various modifications can be made to the embodiments by those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims.